Shawnee Mission School District Union Honcho Calls Subs 'Babysitters' Amid COVID Temp Fix

Suburban tough talk is ramping up as schools struggle to find a solution to a staffing crisis.

A recent emergency declaration is meeting with some level of resistance locally.

Check not-so-subtle push back . . .

State education leaders acknowledge the temporary solution is far from ideal. Linda Sieck, the head of the union representing teachers in the Shawnee Mission School District, hopes it’s an approach no one needs to utilize.

“If all you have is a babysitter, school might be open, but what's happening in that classroom?” Sieck asked.

Her biggest concern with the state’s emergency declaration isn’t the education level but the age. She teaches high school and has students who are as old as 19.

“They are bright, they have a great future ahead of them but I’m not sure they could step in and do my job,” Sieck said.

As of January 11, according to the Shawnee Mission School District’s spokesman, David Smith, the district had 145 teacher absences. That’s 9% of its teachers absent. He said only 2/3 of those absences have been filled by subs.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news link . . .

SMSD teachers' union weighs in on state's response to COVID-related educator absences

OVERLAND PARK, KS (KCTV) -- The surge in COVID cases is doing a number on local schools. In many districts 10% of teachers are absent, and there are not enough willing substitutes to go around.