Substitute Teacher, Bus Driver: Amid Staff Shortages, National Guard Takes On Unexpected Missions

Over the National Guard’s centurieslong history, members have often found themselves called on in emergencies, as part of state and national response to overseas missions, natural disasters or disturbances. But during the pandemic—as Covid-19 absences and other staffing shortages have strained schools, governments and businesses—the Guard’s job description has expanded into roles that many members never thought they’d be filling.

In New Mexico, Guard members serve as substitute teachers. In New York, they helped care for elderly patients in nursing homes. In Massachusetts, they have driven school buses. Gov. Charlie Baker called them a godsend.

“In our history, there is no other time where we’ve served or been involved in this number of roles, support and missions,” said US Air Force Maj. Matt Murphy, a spokesman for the National Guard.

The past nearly two years brought unique challenges, Maj. Murphy said. “A typical year might be filled with natural disaster response for hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires, but Covid and civil disturbance created other national needs,” he said.

The pandemic has exacerbated a shortage of substitute teachers in the US, as more educators called in sick amid a surge in Covid-19 cases this winter. Several states eased rules for substitutes. Some districts boosted pay, while superintendents in other areas worked to fill the gap with creative solutions, including recruiting at 55-and-over communities and appealing to parents.

In New Mexico, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham launched an initiative in January encouraging National Guard members to volunteer to become licensed substitute pre-K-12 teachers or child-care workers.

When the call came, Spc. Hammond took on the mission.

“It sounded like it was something that we really needed to do,” said Spc. Hammond, 38 years old. “I’m teaching math, which is good for me because that’s my background.”

Spc. Hammond, who normally works as a manager at Sandia National Laboratories, previously served on a federal deployment to help with Covid-related data collection in 2020. Now, dressed in camouflage fatigues, he teaches eighth-graders algebra and pre-algebra in Aztec, NM

“The kids are kind of curious,” said Spc. Hammond, an engineer by training. “Some kids think it’s cool. Some kids are like, ‘Oh, it’s kind of weird.’ ”

Guardsmen and women take a temporary leave from their normal jobs after they are activated for a mission. Deployments vary depending on the state and mission, ranging from several weeks to help with disaster relief efforts to many months for some international missions, said Wayne Hall, spokesman for the National Guard Bureau.

Currently, the National Guard has more than 440,600 active members, with more than 334,550 in the Army National Guard and more than 106,000 in the Air National Guard. As of Monday, nearly 58,380 National Guard soldiers and airmen were activated in support of missions across the US and overseas, including nearly 19,330 working on the country’s response to Covid-19.

The New Mexico National Guard has more than 3,840 active members, Mr. Hall said. A total of 79 soldiers and airmen were volunteering in classrooms across the state as of Monday, and about nine others are scheduled to complete the credentialing process needed to teach, according to Joseph Vigil, a spokesman for the New Mexico National Guard.

Alamogordo Public Schools in Otero County, NM, has fared better than others during the pandemic in regards to recruiting and retaining teachers and staff, with a less than 7% vacancy rate overall, according to superintendent Kenneth Moore.

But the Omicron-fueled surge this winter has changed the calculus, as staff tested positive or needed to stay home because of other Covid-19 complications.

“We have been able to keep our schools open due to our state’s test-to-stay program, but the shortage of employees is our limiting factor,” Dr. Moore said. The district has been short about 30 teachers and substitutes a day since Jan. 3, he said.

The district requested 30 National Guard volunteers to help keep schools open, Dr. Moore said. “So far we have three, and while not enough to fill all of our needs, they are working out very well,” said Dr. Moore, a retired Air Force officer.

The National Guard continues to help in more traditional roles, too. They have helped states deal with numerous surges in Covid-19 hospitalizations, playing crucial roles in vaccine distribution efforts, operating testing sites and assisting with hospital staff shortages. On Monday in Idaho, Gov. Brad Little activated 75 members of the state’s National Guard to help with shortages at healthcare related facilities and in the Department of Correction. It was the fourth time the state’s National Guard has been activated during the pandemic.

Despite the strain, enrollment rates have risen. “The National Guard continues to work toward, meet, and surpass its recruiting goals nationwide,” Maj. Murphy, the National Guard spokesman, said.

Spc. Hammond said his teaching assignment from him, while unexpected, was ultimately what he had wanted out of his time in the Guard.

“I signed up for the National Guard to just have some slightly different experiences,” he said. “That is part of the attraction for me, right? Going off and doing something outside of your comfort zone.”

I have signed up last summer for another two years in the Guard.

Write to Talal Ansari at [email protected]