Some states in the U.S. are taking desperate measures to avoid closing schools.

bnew

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Some states in the U.S. are taking desperate measures to avoid closing schools.
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Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico announced on Tuesday that National Guard troops and state workers would become temporary substitute teachers.Credit...Morgan Lee/Associated Press
By Jesus Jiménez
  • Jan. 20, 2022 Updated 1:09 p.m. ET

With the Omicron variant depleting school staffs as it sweeps across the country, some states are resorting to increasingly creative measures to find the substitute teachers needed to keep schools open, in one case even calling on the National Guard.

State workers can now serve as substitute teachers in some hard-hit districts, while other states are loosening rules to speed the hiring of substitutes or draw retirees back into the classroom.

In New Mexico, where new cases have more than tripled over the past two weeks, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has asked the National Guard and state workers to fill in as substitute teachers.

“Our kids, our teachers and our parents deserve as much stability as we can provide during this time of uncertainty,” Governor Lujan Grisham said in a statement on Wednesday, “and the state stands ready to help keep kids in the classroom.”


Under New Mexico’s initiative, National Guard members and state workers must become licensed as substitute teachers or child care workers and fulfill the usual requirements for substitute teachers, such as background checks and a teaching workshop.

In recent weeks, about 60 school districts and charter schools in New Mexico have moved to remote learning, and 75 child care centers have partially or completely closed because of staffing shortages, state officials said.

Keeping schools open during the Omicron wave has become a fiercely debated issue nationally, especially among parents. President Biden was asked about school closings at a White House news conference on Wednesday, and he was quick to point out that most schools were open.

“Let’s put it in perspective: 95 percent, as high as 98 percent, of the schools in America are open, functioning and capable of doing the job,” Mr. Biden said, adding that he encouraged states and school districts to use funding to keep schools open.

According to Burbio, a data company that has tracked how schools are responding to the pandemic, for the past five schools days an average of 3,631 of the 98,000 public schools have been disrupted each day, a relatively low figure.

Whitney Holland, president of the American Federation of Teachers in New Mexico, said on Wednesday that the teacher staffing shortage was a “nationwide crisis.”

“I think ‘dire’ is an appropriate word,” Ms. Holland said, adding that she supported Governor Lujan Grisham’s initiative to keep schools open for students.

“As long as there’s a positive adult that they can build connections with — whether it’s a National Guard member or a state employee or a substitute — and we’re keeping our schools open, that’s our top priority,” she said.

In Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt issued an executive order on Tuesday which allows state agencies to let their workers serve as substitute teachers without affecting their regular job, pay or benefits.

“I’ve said from the beginning that our students deserve an in-person education and our schools need to stay open,” Governor Stitt said. “The state has a responsibility to do what we can to help make that happen.”

In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order last week that loosened rules for substitute teachers, citing the Omicron surge. Set to run through March, the order speeds up hiring for qualified short-term substitutes, lets current substitutes have their assignments extended, and makes it easier for retired teachers to return.

Teachers are not the only school employees in short supply. Last year in Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker activated the National Guard to help with a shortage in bus drivers. And in North Carolina, legislators gave districts federal funding to cover signing bonuses to help ease a shortage of cafeteria workers.
 

Thavoiceofthevoiceless

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As much as folks don’t want to hear it, they have to keep the schools open. Closing schools is basically shutting down society. Young kids at home means their parents have to be home, and not at work.

If that's the case, then tell the person pitch in and help instead of making the problem only worse with the rants against mask mandates.
 
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For the love of God, just let the babies stay home. Yes, it's not ideal, yes, they might be lonely cause they won't be around their lil friends, but at least they won't be in the hospital or get the entire family sick with a potentially deadly virus :snoop:
 

Dafunkdoc_Unlimited

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ALL of this could have been avoided if people got vaccinated when the vaccines became available instead of bullshytting.

That goes for ALL the politicians on down to these absolutely useless anti-vaxxers.​
 

Ya Sinning Mane

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For the love of God, just let the babies stay home. Yes, it's not ideal, yes, they might be lonely cause they won't be around their lil friends, but at least they won't be in the hospital or get the entire family sick with a potentially deadly virus :snoop:
what he said and I don’t have children and this seems like the way to go


Hell was they virtual learning the whole time last year for.
 

get these nets

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Poor leadership in NM.

We're almost two full years into the pandemic, and remote or distance learning options should be expanded and fine tuned by now. Even if you have kids in the auditorium or cafeteria in large spaced out groups like a college lecture hall.
 
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