It comes as several educators have been forced out of work due to the pandemic

The New Mexico governor began work on Wednesday as a substitute teacher, replacing one of the thousands of educators across the United States who have been forced off work by the Covid-19 pandemic .

Michelle Lujan Grisham – a lawyer by training – has swapped the governor’s mansion for the classroom as part of the ‘Supporting Teachers and Families’ initiative designed to fill staffing gaps in schools and child care centers across the country. State.

“It was possibly one of the best days of my entire career,” Grisham said after the last school bell rang.

“It was easier than running the practice,” she joked, but “it was more complicated than I expected.”

Last week, Grisham issued a call for state workers and National Guard troops to register as licensed substitute teachers and child care workers.

“Our schools are a critical source of stability for our children, we know they learn best in the classroom and thrive being among their peers,” the governor said in a statement announcing the program.

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The United States is facing an unprecedented wave of Covid-19 infections, driven by the highly contagious variant of Omicron.

Nearly five million new cases were recorded last week, with New Mexico among the hard-hit states.

Nearly half of school districts in the Southwestern state have been forced to resume online classes in recent weeks as teachers and faculty members have to self-isolate after being infected or having close contact with a covid positive person.

Applicants for the substitute education program must have a high school diploma and pass a background check. No formal teaching qualifications or experience are required.

The United States has the highest number of Covid-19 infections of any country and lags behind other wealthy nations in its willingness to vaccinate the population due to widespread vaccine hesitancy.