Thursday marked the first day of school today for students in Gary, Indiana, but not every teacher was physically in the classroom.

A shortage of licensed educators has led the Gary Community School District to temporarily bring in virtual teachers — a move that’s drawing both praise and criticism. Teachers from the company Proximity are helping with the shortage experienced by the district and others across the country.

More than 4,000 students are in the district, but only a small percentage will be instructed by a virtual teacher.

As of Thursday, a little less than 13 virtual teachers were teaching subjects throughout the district. District officials said as more and more teachers get their teaching credentials and licenses in order, they will replace those virtual instructors - who

See Full Page