Lack of substitute teachers reaches crisis levels

A shortage of substitute teachers across suburban Chicago has reached a crisis level at many school districts in the wake of the pandemic, where the roster of retired teachers and other part-time workers who are certified by the state to fill in when classroom teachers are absent has dwindled exponentially at a time of unprecedented demand for their services. Now, as the number of teachers needing to quarantine continues to spike, some school districts are stepping up their substitute recruitment efforts, while others are concluding that remote learning with all of its flaws is perhaps the best option, at least until early 2021.