VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. —

Alabama's state superintendent, Eric Mackey, discussed the teacher shortage in rural areas during a visit to Vestavia Hills, where he launched the 6th annual Thank Alabama Teachers Month at Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park.

"You can go an hour from here and get in some of the more rural parts of the state, and we actually have a pretty severe shortage," Mackey said.

Mackey highlighted the need for special education teachers, especially in elementary schools and early childhood education, expressing concern that children are not receiving the high-quality education they need.

He noted that some individuals are teaching on emergency certificates, which can lead to situations where someone trained in a different field, such as accounting, is teaching subjects

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