The special education intern should be able to substitute for the Mentor Teacher(s) after meeting the following criteria:

1. The completion of a successful intern assessment review. This is approximately 6-8 weeks into the first semester or after the intern has had the opportunity to spend a major portion of the day in a leadership position. In a traditional setting in the second semester, the intern should be in the process of a successful assessment review before a decision is made regarding the ability to substitute.
2. The decision is based upon the mutual agreement of the Mentor Teacher, field instructor, intern, and principal.
3. The MSU Teacher Preparation Program Report on Substitute Teaching by an intern must be completed and filed with the Internship Coordinator.
4. The intern must comply with district regulations governing substitution policies
   The intern shall not exceed 15 full days of substituting for the academic year. It is the intern’s responsibility to document dates and times when substituting.

Professional Days Policy

Interns, in good standing, may request two professional days each semester. These days are available for use by the intern to fulfill professional obligations and course work requirements. Professional days need to be requested in advance in order for the intern and the teacher to review schedules and plans in preparation for the interns absence. Some interns are reluctant to ask for the time to attend to coursework. We need to be sensitive to an intern, in good standing, and the time crunch they may feel near the end of the semester.

Professional days do not include participation at the Learning Disabilities Association Conference generally held the second Monday and Tuesday in November. Nor do professional days include the day of the MSU Job Fair which is generally during the second week in April.

Sick Days

Interns are allowed two sick days each semester. If an intern misses more than a combined four days, professional and sick, the intern will be asked to make up the missed days after the last official day of the MSU semester.

Visitation Days

Visitation days may be requested by the intern, Mentor Teacher or the field instructor. Visitation days must be requested in advance with sufficient time being allowed for the teacher to plan for the intern’s absence and for visitation arrangements to be made. Requests to visit another classroom, program, or district as deemed appropriate may be made by the intern, teacher, or field instructor. Visitation days are not counted as a part of the professional days. Generally the visitation days occur near the end of the semester when the intern is transitioning responsibility back to the Mentor Teacher.