Due to Shortages, National Guardsmen are Now Substitute Teachers — The Mountain

Everyone remembers their favorite teacher, whether it was someone who doted on them or encouraged their passions or just gave them an easy A+. Many agree that American public school systems are… hit or miss. There are public schools that provide superior education, extra-curricular opportunities, and preparation for colleges in America. There are also public schools so horribly managed that they must be taken over by the state to get them back on their feet. The Harvard Crimson recently reported that in Harvard's Class of 2017, 6% of admitted students came from only 10 high schools. 11% of high schools with students admitted to Harvard sent 36% of students, while 74% of schools sent only one student. The capability of public schools molds the future of Americans.

Regardless of what lot a public school student draws, even if that lot is often determined by whether someone’s son or daughter lives north or south of the train tracks, the teachers at that school are very likely to positively (or negatively) impact their education. For years New Mexico has been struggling to attract teachers and educators. Now, those teachers for many New Mexico students are members of the National Guard.

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham says school districts and preschools are seeking at least 800 substitute teachers and daycare workers, for shifts ranging from one classroom period to the entire day. Many of these empty spots, caused by worker shortages and teachers absent due to contracting COVID-19, will be filled by members of the National Guard. While National Guardsmen will not be forced to be teachers they are being encouraged to. These Guardsmen will be trained with “as little as two hours of training and a two-step background check.” School districts will decide whether military personnel appear in uniform or casual dress. A select committee has been assembled to research whether camouflage fatigues are needed to teach 5th-period social studies to middle schoolers.

Other states have tapped their manpower in their respected National Guard units to aid in the chronic shortage of workers. In Massachusetts, over 200 members of the Guard were deployed to drive school buses. Many states have mobilized their Guardsmen to help with Covid testing, health care and distribution of personal protective equipment. Other states such as Texas have used their National Guard to man the border on a mission one confided to the New York Times as being “mall cops.” Their deployment has been plagued by “inadequate resources, a fuzzy mission, COVID outbreaks, cramped housing, and delayed paychecks.” The National Guard has its origins in the colonial militias who would serve in the Revolutionary War that freed this country from monarchy. Now, the descendants of those units are driving school buses, running political errands for Governor Abbott, and trying to teach America’s youth.

The average public school teacher salary for the 2019-2020 school year was $63,645, according to data from the Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics. Many new teachers can expect much lower wages, with the average starting salary being $45,719. Private schools have historically paid teachers less than teachers in public education. Due to dwindling public-education funding, public-school teachers sometimes shell out hundreds of dollars for classroom chalk and pencils out of their own pocket. A system stretched to its limits, where teachers are overworked and often have to pay for their own supplies, is struggling to survive in the face of COVID-19. The decade-long neglect of America’s classrooms is standing front and center, chickens coming home to roost.