Gary Teachers Union opposes online teacher hiring: move replaces 'soul of education'

Chicago Tribune

4 days ago

As a nationwide teacher shortage left Gary schools turning to online licensed teachers to fill the void, the move has drawn criticism from the leader of the Gary Teachers Union.
The Gary School Board voted July 9 to retain Proximity, an Austin, Texas-based company to provide up to 41 online licensed teachers for middle and high school classrooms.
'We remain focused on providing the best for our scholars, which includes instruction delivered by highly qualified, licensed teachers,' said Gary Community School Corp. Superintendent Yvonne Stokes.
'We value our teachers and will continue to work to find a path forward to secure in-person, licensed instructors. We are still hiring and remain in contact with those teachers who are demonstrating efforts to meet the guidelines set forth by the law to obtain their certification,' Stokes said in a statement.
District officials said about one-third of its teacher roster of about 245 teachers worked under an emergency permit last year, meaning they didn't hold the state-required teachers' license.
The district just emerged from seven years of state control last year because of its perilous financial situation. Stokes joined the district last year as the first hire of the new state and local appointed school board.
However, years of uncertainty may have soured local educators from applying for jobs, officials said.
School board president Michael Suggs cited the urgency to have licensed teachers on a recent radio appearance with Stokes.
'We've been a failing school district for 10 years… 10 years of failing is broken. We have to rise to a new level, and reset the bar,' he said.
Gary's students have performed poorly on state and national standardized tests for more than a decade.
'The state of Indiana says you can't have emergency permits more than three years in a row,' Suggs said.
Chief human resources officer Jovanka Cvitkovich said one teacher worked on an emergency permit for seven years.
Teachers union president GlenEva Dunham urged the district to reconsider its decision on using Proximity teachers.
'This is not just about saving money or adopting the latest technological trend,' Dunham said in a statement.
'This is about the future of our children, the integrity of our schools, and the livelihoods of the teachers who are committed to making Gary a better city for everyone. We deserve more than virtual replacements.'
Dunham, who said the union wasn't consulted about hiring Proximity, said the online teaching platform will leave students more isolated. She said the emergency permit teachers are union members and covered under the contract's recognition clause.
'This partnership with Proximity is not just a decision to 'go digital' — it is a decision to replace the soul of education with something far more distant,' Dunham said.
However, both sides agree on the importance of an in-person teacher in front of the classroom.
Along with the online instructor, Gary officials said a facilitator will be in each online classroom to back up instruction and keep students on task.
'We cannot continue to place students in classrooms year after year with individuals who have not advanced toward professional credentials, especially when their instructional impact does not meet state expectations for student growth,' said Cvitkovich, who herself began her education career on an emergency permit.
'While well-intentioned, this practice places our students at a significant disadvantage and places the district at risk for continued academic underperformance,' she said in a statement.
Last year, there were more than 1,300 teaching vacancies in Indiana, according to the state Department of Education. Low pay and increased responsibilities were among the reasons for the shortage.
The General Assembly passed legislation this year boosting a starting teacher's salary from $40,000 to $45,000.
Gary's starting salary is $50,883.
The Gary Teachers Union is hosting a community forum on the issue from 6 to 7:30 p.m. July 31 at the teachers union, 1401 Virginia St.