Wisconsin schools continue to face staffing shortages because of COVID-19. Continuing Coverage: COVID-19 in Wisconsin The Greendale School District said the number of teachers out sick is more than double the number of substitutes available to replace them. “We are really struggling to make sure that we have coverage in every classroom,” Greendale School Superintendent Kim Amidzich said.Greendale High School is all virtual this week as staff members shift to elementary and middle school classrooms to cover for teachers out with COVID-19.”At this time, we don’t have enough teachers to be in the school building,” Amidzich said. “We have had to redeploy and be creative with how we deploy our staffing into the classrooms.”The district has 44 teachers out with COVID-19 and a pool of only 20 available substitute teachers. The school board put out a call for help, asking for parents to step up and get certified as substitute teachers. “If you have an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree, we will help you find a pathway to certification so that you are able to be a substitute teacher,” Amidzich said.The staffing crunch has forced Greendale to move support staff, administrative assistants and custodians to other non-classroom roles.Custodial staff for example has been tasked with driving school buses.But the greatest need is in the classrooms, where substitute teachers are in desperately short supply, and everyone who can step in is doing what they can to keep the students in class.”We have our administrators, I myself have subbed in a first-grade classroom this year because we needed people in the classroom,” Amidzich said.So far, three parents have answered Greendale’s call for qualified substitute teachers. The district is hoping to find 10 times that many.Amidzich said she hopes to have enough teachers back in the classroom by Monday for the high school to resume in-person learning.Sign up for COVID-19 email alerts from WISNGet breaking news alerts with the WISN 12 app.Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Wisconsin schools continue to face staffing shortages because of COVID-19.
Continuing Coverage: COVID-19 in Wisconsin
The Greendale School District said the number of teachers out sick is more than double the number of substitutes available to replace them.
“We are really struggling to make sure that we have coverage in every classroom,” Greendale School Superintendent Kim Amidzich said.
Greendale High School is all virtual this week as staff members shift to elementary and middle school classrooms to cover for teachers out with COVID-19.
“At this time, we don’t have enough teachers to be in the school building,” Amidzich said. “We have had to redeploy and be creative with how we deploy our staffing into the classrooms.”
The district has 44 teachers out with COVID-19 and a pool of only 20 available substitute teachers.
The school board put out a call for help, asking for parents to step up and get certified as substitute teachers.
“If you have an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree, we will help you find a pathway to certification so that you are able to be a substitute teacher,” Amidzich said.
The staffing crunch has forced Greendale to move support staff, administrative assistants and custodians to other non-classroom roles.
Custodial staff for example has been tasked with driving school buses.
But the greatest need is in the classrooms, where substitute teachers are in desperately short supply, and everyone who can step in is doing what they can to keep the students in class.
“We have our administrators, I myself have subbed in a first-grade classroom this year because we needed people in the classroom,” Amidzich said.
So far, three parents have answered Greendale’s call for qualified substitute teachers.
The district is hoping to find 10 times that many.
Amidzich said she hopes to have enough teachers back in the classroom by Monday for the high school to resume in-person learning.
Sign up for COVID-19 email alerts from WISN
Get breaking news alerts with the WISN 12 app.
Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
