Amid teacher shortages, Oklahoma schools bring in cops as substitutes
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Loading... - Ashley Walsh
- 20 Jan 2022
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Facing chronic teacher and staff shortages due to the spread of COVID-19 infections, Moore Public Schools in Oklahoma has called in police to supervise classes at three elementary schools. The Moore Police Department announced its involvement in a social media post.
“Moore PD is a proud community partner of Moore Public Schools. This week, several on-duty officers are serving in the classroom as schools continue to face teacher and staff shortages. Today, officers Stromski and Lewis covered 6th grade classes at Apple Creek Elementary. Additional officers are serving Houchin and Broadmoore. We are thankful to be able to assist our community during these difficult times.”
In the post’s attached photos, unmasked officers in uniform can be seen presiding over students doing virtual schoolwork at their desks. In one of the pictures, an unmasked officer is sitting at a desk with a mug with a large “Q,” a symbol associated with the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory, although some posters said this was the initial of the missing teacher. In any case, parents and teachers overwhelmingly commented on the inappropriate and irresponsible decision to bring police into the schools.
“Protect and serve? Outrageous and infuriating. How dare you! Unmasked and armed to teach little children. Not physically or emotionally safe. Not appropriate. And a horrible role model for children during a pandemic. Not only that, but these cops are literally putting human lives at risk, including their own. Absolutely disgusting,” said one parent.
“What are you going to do when all the police officers get COVID? Because unless the teachers have been attending some very intimate parties in their off hours that no one knows about, I think the whole ‘teaching in close proximity to students’ might be the reason why they’re all sick in the first place,” another parent commented.
“As a teacher who caught Covid at school and was out sick last week, I’m appalled to see these officers unmasked in the classroom,” a teacher said.
With more teachers out of commission due to the highly contagious Omicron variant, school districts across the country have resorted to extraordinary measures to keep in-person classes running.
Earlier this week, Cincinnati Public School administrators attempted to prevent the shutdown of 11 schools by sending more than 60 staffers from the district’s central office to classrooms. However, the move was not enough to keep schools open, and the district was forced to move to virtual learning.
Just outside of Austin, Texas, the Hays Consolidated Independent School District sent emails to parents encouraging them to become substitute teachers. A potential applicant would only need to pass a criminal background check, and the principal could waive the 30-hour college credit requirement. In a statement, the district explained “having someone in class … is better than the alternative of having to close schools.”
In Upstate New York, the West Genesee Central School District posted on Facebook asking youth to take on vacant jobs. “Are you home on college break and want to help out at your alma mater? Come be a Substitute Teacher or Teaching Assistant while you are home and earn some spending money before you go back to school,” the district said in the post. Read More…
