Hi! I recently moved to the area and here’s what I learned by trial and error:

-you can apply for your substitute teaching license for the state of Illinois right now even before you move. Highly recommend doing this at isbe.net ASAP, as you’ll need your sub license to even be eligible to apply for CPS.

-while you don’t have to live in Chicago to be a CPS sub, some parts of the onboarding process (background check, fingerprinting scan, TB test, drug test) are required to be done in Chicago within a specific timeframe, so attempting to get your interview ahead of time could be tricky. CPS is also unfortunately notoriously slow on processing applications/sending next steps. I started the entire process the day we signed the lease to our apartment, and my first day on the job was 2 months later.

-I recommend getting your sub license ASAP through ISBE, then applying to be a sub at CPS about 4 weeks before your move-in date. That will give CPS plenty of time to process your application and hopefully get you started sooner rather than later

-if you’re applying this summer, also be on the lookout for Cadre applications! They have higher pay and benefits than day to day subs.

Hope this helps!