Sgt. Lee Allingham, a member of the National Guard, was so upset by the notion of kids staying home from school because of the teacher and substitute shortage gripping his state that he knew he had to help.
Earlier this year, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham provided Allingham with that opportunity. She called upon both state workers and the Guard to alleviate personnel shortages on school campuses and inside child care facilities.
More than 150 volunteers applied to participate, and 94 substitute teacher licenses have been issued.
Guard members are now serving in classrooms in New Mexico, and Grisham herself was so devoted to the cause that she recently worked as a substitute for a group of kindergarteners in Santa Fe.
While Grisham’s request was unusual — the Guard more typically helps with domestic crises and in support of active-duty personnel abroad — her problem is not unique.
In Ohio and Michigan, for instance, several schools closed in January because of staff absences, and at least one district in New Jersey was planning to end classes early every because of substitute shortages.
Back in New Mexico, some 60 school districts and charter schools have moved to remote learning since the beginning of the year, and 75 childcare centers have partially or completely closed because of staffing shortages.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
Allingham, the member of the National Guard, spent his time teaching at a school district where he grew up. Small communities like his were particularly hard hit, and he asked for the assignment, traveling some 90 minutes from his home to fulfill the mission.
“It pains me to see kids getting a lack of education, to see them miss out on opportunities because of the pandemic,” he said. “I know it probably frustrates them as well when a favorite teacher has to go out for COVID.”
While his knowledge of the classroom doesn’t stack up against former teachers or veteran substitutes, he’s glad to fill the role, and he has called upon his own education and work experience whenever needed.
His criminal justice degree and years in law enforcement, for example, proved helpful for a group of high school students studying Miranda rights.
Allingham, like the rest of the state’s volunteers, had to adhere to the same standards as all other substitute teachers, submitting to a background check and completing an online workshop before setting foot in a classroom.
But not everyone around the country was thrilled at the prospect of outsiders entering schools for the first time.
Critics from both parties pushed back on what they call a temporary fix.
But, in the face of widespread school closures, other educators have embraced the development.
Adriana Cuen-Flavian, a high school teacher and a union representative in New Mexico, said she’s glad for the Guard’s help. Out sick with COVID in late January, she’s well aware of absences caused by the pandemic. And she prefers the Guard, she said, to some of the substitutes her district has hired to keep the doors open, including 19- and 20-year-olds.
“They don’t have the life experience or professionalism … to be a responsible teacher in the classroom, where a member of the National Guard probably does,” she said.
For months, Jeff Hartog, principal of Katherine Gallegos Elementary School near Albuquerque, has been struggling to keep kids in school. One week earlier this year, between 180 and 220 children — of a total 620 students — were absent each day, in part because he reverted the sixth grade to remote learning after several teachers tested positive for COVID.
Hartog is hard pressed to find substitutes: He recently filled in for a music class, though his training is in mathematics. And he called upon Lt. Col Aysha Armijo of the New Mexico National Guard to assist when staff was too thin.
Armijo, the task force commander for the substitute teacher initiative, had worked as a substitute for several years and also as a cheer coach for the high school.
Like Armijo, Staff Sgt. Armando Heras, who works at a juvenile detention center, was compelled to volunteer in the state’s public schools because he was worried about those children who might get into trouble if left alone at home.
At 6 feet 3 inches tall and 250 pounds, this Guard member is a commanding figure inside the classroom.
One week, Heras subbed for a physical education teacher. One week later, he was overseeing art classes.
While he isn’t a trained artist, Heras helped wherever he could. Mostly, he’s just glad to keep kids in school and to prevent overcrowding when students are added to other teachers’ classrooms.
“If I can be here to relieve that pressure, I’m doing my part,” Heras said.
“We are supporting our state, our teachers, our communities. We were called upon by the governor to volunteer. If we can support the teachers and help keep the school doors open, we are fulfilling the mission.”
By Jo Napolitano, writes for The 74 Million, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news site covering education in America.
A Georgia angle
In metro Atlanta, Fayette County is working to persuade interested school bus drivers to also take on substitute teaching duties. Fayette has also raised pay for substitute teachers, who can earn $95 to $115 a day, depending on education. Bus drivers who become substitutes will cover classes between their morning and afternoon routes. Their work will give teachers time for planning periods.
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