BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The head of the Alabama Department of Education says state schools are facing a shortage of workers that’s being made worse by the coronavirus pandemic.
State Superintendent Eric Mackey says schools can’t find enough substitute teachers, bus drivers or nurses. He says the problem existed last year, and the pandemic has made it worse.
Part of the problem is that many retirees aren't comfortable being in schools. More than 1,900 people have died in Alabama of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, and more than 107,000 cases have been confirmed.