The New Mexico high desert is known for its beauty. The area enjoys sunny skies, and even snow in winter.One thing missing has been teachers.The Aztec Municipal School District serves about 3,000 students in northwestern New Mexico.But, for nearly eight years, the school district had trouble finding full-time teachers for its special education students.It instead used temporary or substitute teachers to work with children who have physical disabilities or difficulty learning.Tania Prokop is Aztec's Deputy Superintendent. She tells VOA Americans were not interested in the full-time positions.Aztec is not alone. New Mexico State University reported that the state had 740 unfilled teaching positions in public schools.A study from the Learning Policy Institute estimates that nationwide, public school districts currently have a shortage of 112,000 teachers.
