Umesh has sent you an article from The Washington Times.
Umesh's comments: might try it myself
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SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS FORCES GLOBAL SEARCH
By Amy Doolittle
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
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Local school officials say they are looking abroad for educators to deal with a
short supply of U.S. teachers and to engage in cultural exchanges with other
countries.
Public school officials in Loudoun County -- the fastest-growing county in
Virginia -- have hired 55 teachers from 14 different countries, including Costa
Rica and Mexico. In Washington County, Md., school officials plan to employ as
many as 10 foreign teachers next fall.
Meanwhile, Fairfax County is using educators primarily from Japan as
foreign-language and culture-immersion teachers. Prince George's County and the
District are hiring teachers from the Philippines, Spain, Nigeria, Turkey and
countries in South America to fill shortages in various curriculums, officials
said.
The foreign-teaching hires meet a critical need while providing a
"cultural-exchange opportunity," said Wayde Byard, spokesman for Loudoun County
public schools.
"This is not [foreign workers] taking U.S. teachers' jobs," Mr. Byard said.
"Between us and Fairfax [County], we'll take every graduate the 38 accredited
education colleges in Virginia produce -- so we recruit worldwide."
Loudoun County currently employs 3,578 teachers and will hire 800 new ones
over the summer. Mr. Byard said the hires will cover the teacher-attrition rate
and fill 225 positions created for the district's five new schools, which will
open in the fall.
Patricia Abernethy, deputy schools superintendent in Washington County,
said school officials turned to overseas educators only after failing to
recruit enough homegrown teachers.
"We have advertised in newspapers and online, and we are not able to find
sufficient teachers for our needs," said Miss Abernethy, whose school system
employs about 1,500 teachers a year and has about 100 vacancies. "If we could
find teachers in our country, we would do it."
School officials have attributed the teacher shortage to such factors as an
aging and retiring teacher population, an inability to retain teachers who are
dissatisfied with pay and classroom discipline, and an increasing student
enrollment.
In addition, colleges and universities are not producing enough teachers to
meet state needs. For example, Maryland public schools needed to hire 5,900
teachers in 2003, when state colleges graduated about 2,300, officials said.
Stepping into the breach is the Visiting International Faculty Program.
Based in Chapel Hill, N.C., VIF has provided foreign teachers for 33 school
districts in Virginia, including Arlington, Loudoun, Prince William and
Spotsylvania counties.
Nationally, VIF has provided U.S. schools with 1,800 teachers from 52
different countries, with Colombia producing the most teachers (237) and
Jamaica offering the second most (128).
VIF applicants must be fluent in English, hold a degree equivalent to a
U.S. bachelor's degree, be a certified teacher in their home country, have at
least three years of teaching experience, pass a background check and have at
least two years of driving experience, program spokesman Ned Glasock said.
The foreign teachers are paid on the same salary schedule as their American
counterparts. In addition, VIF teachers are given visas that allow them to stay
in the country no more than three years. They do not apply for or receive green
cards.
Officials in Washington County have reluctantly turned to VIF to fill its
teaching vacancies.
"That was the sole purpose -- filling positions that were vacant that we
couldn't fill with U.S. teachers. We just didn't have any other choice," said
Paul Bailey, president of the Washington County Board of Education.
Importing teachers saves school systems in Social Security payments and
benefits, which the VIF provides.
Wayne Ridenour, a member of the Washington County school board and a former
teacher, had reservations about hiring VIF teachers.
"I'm afraid that because it is a little cheaper and easier, we're going to
have it as a crutch later. I want to bring our own teachers -- bring them, keep
them," he said. "I'm very concerned that this will become a crutch."
Founded in 1989, VIF does not currently send U.S. teachers overseas, but
has done so in the past.
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This article was mailed from The Washington Times
(http://www.washingtontimes.com/metro/20050615-110828-6822r.htm)
For more great articles, visit us at http://www.washingtontimes.com
Copyright (c) 2005 News World Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
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