Raise your hand: Schools seek volunteers in staffing crunch
By CAROLYN THOMPSON
Associated Press
Parents may be wondering who’s teaching the kids as teacher absences mount and substitutes remain in short supply. The answer around the U.S. could be nearly anyone willing to help keep school doors open through the omicron-driven staffing crunch. It could be a local police officer, National Guard soldier, state budget analyst, parent or even a recent high school graduate. States have been loosening teaching requirements to give schools more flexibility on hiring as virus exposures, illness and quarantines add to strains on schools. Institutions have also been tapping librarians, custodians and support staff to help cover classrooms.
