Page 2 - aruba-today-20220203

A2 UP FRONT
Thursday 3 February 2022
Continued from Front consistent instruction from
Supporters say it's better teaching professionals,"
to have students in school, a notice on the district's
where they are supervised website said. In the Hays
and have access to food Consolidated Independent
and services, even if the so- School District in Texas,
lutions fall short academi- where McKinney filled in
cally. as a sub this week, at one
Still, the lowering of the bar point in January the district
for teachers raises some needed 455 subs in a single
concerns about whether day, well over the usual
schools are just treading 185, and could fill only 40%
water. In some cases when of the need, district spokes-
possible, virtual school person Tim Savoy said.
taught by students' regular The district raised the pay to
teachers could be a bet- an average of $120 a day,
ter alternative, said Richard up from about $90, and
Ingersoll, an expert on the invited parents to join the
teaching profession at the ranks of substitutes, waiv-
University of Pennsylvania. ing for some a requirement
"Remote sometimes might they have 30 hours of col-
be much more preferable lege. About half of the 60
to getting some substitute New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, left, announced efforts to temporarily employ National new subs hired in January
in there who's basically Guard troops and state bureaucrats as substitute teachers and preschool caregivers, during a were parents, Savoy said.
babysitting," he said. news conference, at Sante Fe High School, in Santa Fe, N.M., Jan. 19, 2022 After an orientation that in-
Governors have been is- Associated Press cluded refreshers on things
suing executive orders to like classroom manage-
make more people eligible as substitute teachers and until June 1, when the more even if it means students ment and discipline, along
to work in schools. In states continue to receive their stringent requirements will don't keep a full schedule. with a background check
including California, Con- state salary. return. State officials in Ne- In Millville Public Schools in that included fingerprint-
necticut, New Jersey and "We know that kids learn vada will consider a similar New Jersey, administrators ing, there are days McKin-
Pennsylvania, governors best in the classroom, so we change for emergencies were so concerned about ney has his pick from a long
have taken action to give want to do what we can for the state's two most the toll on learning after list of assignments but grav-
schools more flexibility to to help schools stay open. populous counties later this months of staffing challeng- itates first to his specialties
bring back retired teachers Our teachers and our chil- month. Currently, substitute es that they moved middle of history and physical edu-
for short-term assignments. dren deserve our support teachers must have at least and high school students to cation.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt during this difficult phase of 60 college credits — or an a half-day schedule — with He said remote learning
and Utah Gov. Spencer the pandemic," Cox said in associate degree or higher teachers -- for the month of was hard on families like his
Cox have made it possible a statement. — to obtain a license. February."After an analysis that had to juggle kids and
for schools to dip into the In Kansas, the state Board In addition to asking state of our staffing over the past jobs, and he praised the
states' workforces. of Education has begun al- workers to step up, New 5 months, we determined district for working to stay
Cox's executive order al- lowing districts to hire sub- Mexico has called in the instruction at the second- open, even if it meant mak-
lows state workers, includ- stitute teachers as young National Guard to work as ary level has been severely ing exceptions for those
ing budget analysts, social as 18 and with little more substitute teachers, an un- impacted due to students' running the classrooms.
workers and highway pa- than a high school diploma precedented move that lack of access to direct in- "That's a huge emotional
trol officers, to take up to after waiving requirements has troops drawing their struction on a daily basis. and physiological burden
30 hours of administrative they have at least 60 col- usual pay for serving on ac- Moving to an early dismiss- on families," he said of virtu-
leave to work as substitute lege credits, the equivalent tive duty. al schedule will address our al school, "so I think Hays is
teachers or in other school of at least two years, to re- At least some schools are staffing shortages by utiliz- just trying to figure out every
jobs. Oklahoma's initiative ceive a temporary license. choosing to prioritize time ing our current employees possible option to not have
lets state workers volunteer The changes will last only with professional teachers, so that we are delivering to do that to families."q
Biden signs bill to honor WWII Ghost Army soldiers

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — bers were not recognized Gold Medal."
Members of two top-secret for their heroism. The legislation in the House
World War II military units Biden signed the bill Tues- was co-led by Republican
referred to as the "Ghost day. Rep. Chris Stewart of Utah.
Army" will be awarded the "Through their courageous, In the Senate, the legisla-
Congressional Gold Medal creative, and innovative tion was led by Sens. Ed-
more than 75 years after tactics, the top-secret ward Markey, a Democrat
their service, under legisla- Ghost Army outmaneu- from Massachusetts, and
tion signed into law by Pres- vered and deceived the Susan Collins, a Republican
ident Joe Biden. Nazis, saving thousands from Maine.q
The Ghost Army refers to of Allied lives during World Rick Beyer of the Ghost
two units that used inflat- War II," said U.S. Rep. Annie Army Legacy Project
able equipment, sound Kuster of New Hampshire, a worked for seven years to
effects, radio trickery, and Democrat who sponsored get the bill passed. "Armed
other deceptions in Eu- the bill in the House. "More with their wits and guile
rope to draw enemy forces than 75 years after defeat- these men saved lives and
This photo provided by Andrea J. Cheeney shows four gen- away from American units, ing fascism in Europe, it's helped win the war," he
erations of the McKane family pose with an inflatable tank at saving an estimated 30,000 time these soldiers receive said in a statement. "Their
the Ghost Army exhibit on June 7, 2021 at Historical Society of
Cheshire County, Keene N.H. lives. Because of their se- the highest honor we can story is an inspiration to all
Associated Press cret classification, mem- award: the Congressional of us!"q