Most schools in Indiana started the new academic year with some sort of in-person instruction, but teachers say the so-called "hybrid" learning models are burning them out -- fast.

With many teachers opting out of returning to the classroom because of the coronavirus, schools around the U.S. are scrambling to find replacements and in some places lowering certification requirements to help get substitutes in the door.

Many schools in Indiana are working to provide some sort of in-person instruction to students as they reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, but some school leaders say a shortage of teachers could force them to once again move students online.

The federal lawsuit, filed last week by eight teachers who taught at Meadowlawn Elementary School in Monticello at the time of the January 2019 incident, names as defendants the White County Sheriff's Department, four deputies and the department's current and former sheriff.

The Indiana chapter of the American Federation of Teachers agree that so-called safety strikes for local unions could be possible of health precautions at schools are not met.

Parents and teachers are voicing concerns about schools reopening, with the new academic year only weeks away.

Recent protests against racism and police brutality are prompting more people to talk about racial justice and equity, and advocates say those efforts have to include teachers in Indiana.

All Indiana teachers collectively won the 2021 Teacher of the Year in recognition of the challenges each face during the pandemic, the state education department said Tuesday.

The new order says schools can use a teacher's evaluation from last year, or conduct a new one. If it's new, they can't use test scores or observations unless those were done while classes were still meeting in person.

As Hoosiers prepared to hunker down for Gov. Eric Holcombs stay-at-home order, some teachers in east central Indiana decided to see their young students in-person one more time, from a safe distance.