ANN ARBOR – Ann Arbor Public Schools Superintendent Jeanice Swift released a statement on Monday afternoon in response to the recent closure of several school buildings due to a staffing shortage.
Over the past week, one elementary school, one K-8 school and two high schools have gone remote for one day due to the inability to staff the buildings, Swift shared with the AAPS community through emails.
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On Monday morning, A2STEAM parents were notified an hour before the start of school that all grades would shift to remote learning for the day.
See Swift’s full statement below:
We all understand the significant challenge for students, staff and families when we are placed in the very difficult situation of not being able to adequately staff a school building and safely open our doors to in-person learning on any day of the school year.
We are currently working to better understand the details of the staffing challenges that have contributed to the two days - last Friday, October 22nd, and Monday, October 25th - when we have been unable to fully staff particular school buildings to offer a safe opening of in-school learning and as a result, were forced to transition a few schools to remote learning.
We will be sharing more information with our community over the coming days, including steps we will identify to address this situation as we move forward through this time.
AAPS has held several virtual job fairs this year for numerous positions across the district as it tries to fill the gaps. According to Swift, staff illness and absences -- sometimes announced last minute -- have contributed to the decision to hold all-virtual days.