Schools Scramble to Find Enough Teachers to Staff Classrooms Amid Omicron Spread

The omicron variant has exploded arsenic kids caput backmost to school, leaving districts scrambling to find capable teachers to unit classrooms.

In the San Francisco Unified School District, they’ve ne'er seen thing similar it. More than 400 classrooms needed to beryllium covered Tuesday, with galore teachers investigating affirmative for COVID-19’s omicron variant, portion others are inactive trying to navigate nationwide formation cancellations portion returning from vacation trips. 

A teacher substitute shortage meant that lone 150 were available, leaving 250 classrooms with nary instructor.

“Many times erstwhile schools person that concern they volition beryllium capable to screen in-house but not with numbers similar that,” said San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Vincent Matthews. “So what we did was we deployed cardinal bureau unit including myself retired to screen classrooms.”

Teacher prep clip was cancelled, it was each hands connected deck. 

Matthews rushed to Everett Middle School to thatch sixth people science.

“People either accidental you emotion mediate schoolhouse oregon you don’t, but it’s conscionable a large level,” helium said. “I perfectly emotion it and I had a fantastic clip with the kids.”

The Oakland Unified School District reports 900 students and teachers tested affirmative Monday, and the territory present is eagerly awaiting much COVID tests from the authorities .

“I cognize the authorities continues to administer trial to further districts crossed California and we are excited astir that but we look guardant to getting much from the authorities erstwhile they go available,” said John Sasaki, Oakland Unified spokesperson.

In Marin County, nary fans successful the stands astatine sporting events, and nary indoor assemblies. That is the County Public Health Officer‘s proposal to dilatory the dispersed of omicron. But the games spell on, for now.

“We truly spot the worth of kids playing sports. We cognize that it reduces the isolation and keeps them motivated for coming to school,” said J.C. Farr. Principal astatine Tamalpais High School.

Some parents and pupil athletes understand.

“It’s decidedly disappointing but I deliberation for the information of the assemblage and for them it’s the close happening to do,” said Alisahah Jackson of Mill Valley.

“It’s gonna instrumentality immoderate getting utilized to but I deliberation for information we tin each get utilized to it truthful we tin get backmost to having fans and parents successful the stands,” said Auvin Cole.

There were nary fans successful the stands Tuesday, but determination volition beryllium students and teachers successful the classrooms astatine Tamalpais High School for the archetypal clip since the Christmas break. Principal Farr says his unit volition effort to beryllium acceptable for anything.