Some Eastpointe students to attend hybrid classes as district works to fill teacher vacancies

EASTPOINTE, Mich. (FOX 2) - As students return to the classroom Monday, the Eastpointe Community Schools district is working to find more teachers.

The district is looking to fill 10 vacancies.

"We have 10 vacancies right now. We have 200 teachers that we regularly staff," said Christina Gibson, the superintendent Eastpointe Community Schools. "This time last year we were looking at 43 vacancies."

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This means some students in grades 6-12 will follow a hybrid model.

"Hybrid model is about two days or three days of face-to-face instruction intermixed with the virtual modality," Gibson said. "We are full face-to-face pre-k through 5 because we found a virtual learning for pre-K through five does not work well."

Eastpointe says the hybrid model allowed them to retain teachers.

"A crisis last year allowed for innovation this year," Gibson said.

The district has partnered with Northern Michigan University to help recruit teachers.

"We’re paying for people to finish their bachelors degree and then become certified in special education through the partnership," Gibson said.