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Tucson superintendent says turning to virtual teachers is not ideal — but the shortage is dire

Gabriel Trujillo
Tucson Unified School District
Gabriel Trujillo

Classes are starting in one of the state’s largest school districts in less than two weeks — and they are short about two-dozen math teachers. So the Tucson Unified School District’s governing board is considering outsourcing those teaching jobs to virtual instructors.

The board heard a presentation by Chicago-based company Elevate K-12 recently, according to the Tucson Sentinel, to fill the vacancies virtually and save the district about $1 million in the process.

But district superintendent Gabriel Trujillo says it’s not his ideal solution. The Show spoke with him to learn why and just how dire the teacher shortage is there now.

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Lauren Gilger, host of KJZZ's The Show, is an award-winning journalist whose work has impacted communities large and small, exposing injustices and giving a voice to the voiceless and marginalized.