As district leadership, we deeply respect and value the perspectives of our educators and union partners. We understand the critical role that licensed, in-person teachers play in shaping the educational experience of our students, and we unequivocally agree that the best-case scenario for every child is to be taught by a qualified, in-person, fully licensed educator. That remains our shared and stated goal.
However, the current staffing crisis — locally, statewide, and nationwide — demands that we approach teacher recruitment and placement with both creativity and accountability.
For far too long, we have relied on renewing emergency permits for individuals who have not shown sufficient progress toward full licensure, nor demonstrated the instructional effectiveness needed to move student achievement forward. This is no longer a viable or responsible solution.
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. While well-intentioned, this practice places our students at a significant disadvantage and places the district at risk for continued academic underperformance.
To that end, we are implementing a model that ensures each student has access to a licensed teacher — even if that instruction is delivered virtually — supported by a qualified classroom facilitator who provides in-person supervision, builds human connection, and manages daily classroom routines. This model offers a more sustainable, standards-aligned solution than extending emergency permits with no pathway to licensure.
We welcome continued conversation with our union partners to refine this model, to identify and support aspiring educators who are truly committed to earning licensure, and to ensure that every classroom — with instruction provided virtually or physically — delivers high-quality, standards-based instruction.
Our students deserve licensed, effective educators. They deserve real progress, not just presence. And it is our duty to deliver on that promise, even if it requires a shift in traditional staffing models.
Jovanka Cvitkovich is the Chief Human Resources Officer for the Gary Community School Corporation.
For far too long, we have relied on renewing emergency permits for individuals who have not shown sufficient progress toward full licensure, nor demonstrated the instructional effectiveness needed to move student achievement forward. This is no longer a viable or responsible solution.
As district leadership, we deeply respect and value the perspectives of our educators and union partners. We understand the critical role that licensed, in-person teachers play in shaping the educational experience of our students, and we unequivocally agree that the best-case scenario for every child is to be taught by a qualified, in-person, fully licensed educator. That remains our shared and stated goal.
However, the current staffing crisis — locally, statewide, and nationwide — demands that we approach teacher recruitment and placement with both creativity and accountability.
For far too long, we have relied on renewing emergency permits for individuals who have not shown sufficient progress toward full licensure, nor demonstrated the instructional effectiveness needed to move student achievement forward. This is no longer a viable or responsible solution.
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. While well-intentioned, this practice places our students at a significant disadvantage and places the district at risk for continued academic underperformance.
To that end, we are implementing a model that ensures each student has access to a licensed teacher — even if that instruction is delivered virtually — supported by a qualified classroom facilitator who provides in-person supervision, builds human connection, and manages daily classroom routines. This model offers a more sustainable, standards-aligned solution than extending emergency permits with no pathway to licensure.
We welcome continued conversation with our union partners to refine this model, to identify and support aspiring educators who are truly committed to earning licensure, and to ensure that every classroom — with instruction provided virtually or physically — delivers high-quality, standards-based instruction.
Our students deserve licensed, effective educators. They deserve real progress, not just presence. And it is our duty to deliver on that promise, even if it requires a shift in traditional staffing models.
Jovanka Cvitkovich is the Chief Human Resources Officer for the Gary Community School Corporation.
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