Like many public schools across the state the Millwood public school district has relied on a growing number of emergency certified teachers due to a growing shortage of traditionally trained educators.

But as the school system faced the prospect of losing dozens of its emergency certified teachers who had failed to pass a teaching test within the state-required two year window, the elementary and middle schools were changed to charter conversion schools, giving the district an exemption from some teacher hiring policies.

“We were faced with the issue of turning over a lot of staff at a time when we were making some real momentum,” said Cecilia Robinson, superintendent of Millwood Public Schools.

Robinson said up to 20 percent of her staff is emergency certified, which are teachers who lack traditional training and do not hold a state teaching license.