No Educator Left Behind is a series providing answers from the U.S. Department of Education to questions about the federal No Child Left Behind Act and how it will affect educators. If you have a question about No Child Left Behind, send an e-mail to Ellen Delisio, and we will submit your question to the Department of Education.

Question:

Do long- and short-term substitutes have to meet the highly qualified teacher requirements?

U.S. Department of Education:

Substitutes take the place of the teacher, and therefore play a critical role in the classroom and the school. It is vital that they be able to perform their duties well. Although short-term substitutes do not need to meet the highly qualified teaching requirements in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, it is strongly recommended that a long-term substitute teacher meet the requirements for a highly qualified teacher as defined in the law. In addition, as states and districts establish a definition for a long-term substitute, they should bear in mind that the law requires that parents be notified if their child has received instruction for four or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who is not highly qualified.

Read previous questions and answers in our No Educator Left Behind archive.