Oklahoma school district using cops as substitutes amid teacher shortage
MOORE, Okla. Jan 22, 2022 — An Oklahoma school district is receiving mixed reviews about its solution to staffing woes: cops as substitute teachers.
According to KOCO 5, Moore Public Schools has been struggling with a teacher shortage and asked the police department for help.
A recent executive order from Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt allows state employees to sub as teachers, according to Newsweek.
On Tuesday, Moore police officers were teaching in elementary school classrooms.
“We are in the public service business, and we saw an opportunity to serve the public,” said Moore Police Lt. Kyle Johnson. “Most of the officers are actually loving it.”
While some praised the effort, others objected to the officers’ uniforms and duty weapons in the classroom, reported KOCO. School district officials defended the move, saying this is not the first time their children have seen officers in uniform.
“These officers are assigned to our school sites every day through safety partnerships we have with the Moore Police and Oklahoma City Police Departments,” school officials wrote in a statement to KOCO 5. “Our students see and interact with their on-site School Resource Officers (SROs) while they attend school.”
Police said the teaching gig is not impacting their ability to respond to calls, according to KOCO 5. It’s not clear how long officers will be teaching or which grades they’re covering, although a police Facebook post says officers helped in a 6th-grade classroom this week.
