New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat has registered to become licensed as a substitute teacher as part of an attempt to handle COVID-19-related staffing shortages at schools and child care centers.
According to CNN, the governor does not have prior experience in education though he expects to be placed as a substitute in an elementary school next week.
"There aren't any other options," the governor stated, asking for the public's assistance to register more substitute teachers, CNN reported.
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"This work will not require the Lt. Gov. to act as governor," Grisham's press secretary Nora Sackett furthermore told the outlet.
The governor is one of 100 people, including 50 National Guard members and 50 state employees, to sign up for the "Supporting Teachers and Families" initiative announced last week, CNN reported.
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Grisham declared the initiative to encourage state workers and members of the National Guard to help at schools struck by COVID-19 outbreaks preventing teachers from coming in to work.
At the time, she stated the decision was the outcome of "extreme staffing shortages due to a surge in COVID-19 cases."
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On Friday, New Mexico's health department reported 6,198 new COVID-19 cases and a seven-day positivity rate of 29 percent as the state has seen a surge in infections fed by the highly contagious Omicron variant.
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"Our kids, our teachers, and our parents deserve as much stability as we can provide during this time of uncertainty, and the state stands ready to help keep kids in the classroom, parents able to go to work, and teachers able to fully focus on the critical work they do every single day in educating the next generation," Lujan Grisham announced in a statement.
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State workers who sign up for the initiative and pass all the requirements, which include a background check and online workshops, are permitted to use administrative leave to take on these new roles. The State Personnel Office rules allow up to five consecutive days of paid administrative leave at a time, the governor's office confirmed to NPR. The state announced it will balance the requirements of schools and state services so there won't be disruptions as state employees take on teaching and child care worker roles.
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"We've heard from multiple districts that a lack of substitute teachers is among the most critical staffing issues right now, and they've asked for the state's support," Public Education Secretary Kurt Steinhaus stated. "We are ready to step up to support our teachers, who have been on the front lines of the pandemic for nearly two years now, by increasing the state's pool of substitute teachers."
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