New Mexico National Guard members, state employees to step in to help in schools
SANTA FE, New Mexico -- In a press conference today, New Mexico Governor Michelle Grisham announced the 'Supporting Teachers and Families initiative.' The initiative was created to provide critical support for New Mexico schools and child care facilities who have been facing extreme staffing shortages.
According to the governor, the initiative encourages state workers and members of the National Guard to volunteer to become licensed as substitute Pre K-12 teachers and childcare workers to help keep schools open.
All volunteers must fulfill the same requirements as regular substitute teachers and child care workers. Those volunteers must undergo a background check. Those applying to work in schools must also complete an online substitute teaching workshop through the New Mexico Public Education Department.
However, the governor said that they would make sure to ensure that the needs of the schools and the state are balanced to ensure that state services are not affected by this effort. The governor said that the initiative would allow state workers to use administrative leave to help the educational realm.
The governor said that the initiative would help schools avoid the disruptive processes when schools are forced to turn to remote learning. "The goal of the state's effort is to ensure these establishments have the staffing resources to temporarily fill in during these gaps."
The governor's announcement came when many New Mexico schools have been forced to switch to online learning due to the Covid-19 surge.
The superintendent of the school district, Travis Dempsey, told ABC-7 that he believes the idea is brilliant.
"I am definitely open to it and having National Guard members help us in that role, and I think that it is a great place for them, so I embrace it," Dempsey said.
He said that right now, they are in desperate need of substitutes, "I believe that it is a good solution that we are all struggling with, and I appreciate that the state is trying to find those solutions and not just leave it to us to try to figure those things out."
