A new law gives Michigan schools greater leeway in hiring substitute teachers.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed legislation that allows administrative staff, bus drivers and cafeteria workers to serve as substitute teachers in an emergency as long as they have a high school diploma, reports The Detroit News.
Normally, state law requires schools to hire substitute teachers who have at least 60 semester hours of college credit. The bill enables districts, for the 2021-22 school year only, to hire any school employee as a substitute.
The Michigan Education Association has criticized the legislation, saying it "undermines the quality of education."
But supporters of the bill have countered that the state is facing a substitute teacher crisis because of the coronavirus pandemic.
