Let’s search
the globe to solve
teacher shortage

Some mainland districts fill the
ranks with teachers recruited
from around the world

Hawaii must find new ways to recruit teachers if we are to successfully replace those who are leaving. Otherwise, next school year may start like the last, with 357 fewer teachers than were needed.

Universities in Hawaii graduate 600 to 700 education students a year. About 80 percent stay home to teach. The state Department of Education sends recruiters to the mainland to find the remainder.

Fewer Americans are choosing teaching as a profession. The supply is shrinking at a time when demand for more teachers is rapidly rising. To meet our annual requirements for new teachers, Hawaii has to offer larger signing bonuses, higher salaries and better benefits. If this is not possible due to budgetary constraints, the alternative is to expand the search by including the international market as a source for highly qualified, experienced teachers. Other school districts are already doing this.

The Houston Independent School District recruits science teachers from Russia. New York City schools travel north for Canadian teachers. Iowa has Spanish teachers from Spain. Baltimore contracts for math teachers from the Philippines. There are more than 400 international teachers working in 45 of South Carolina's 85 school districts.

Chicago somehow persuaded immigration officials to set aside 50 multi-year "H-1B" visas annually exclusive for their schools. While Chicago never advertised the visas, the news spread rapidly. During the first year, its education board received more than 4,500 unsolicited inquiries from around the world. Chicago now has teachers from more than 35 countries.

There are two types of visas. Under the H-1B program, a recipient can stay in the United States for up to six years. But Hawaii is already too late for school year 2005-2006. Sixty-five thousand H-1B visas for all classifications of skilled workers became available last Oct. 1. All 65,000 visas, the quota for an entire year, were gone by the end of the first day.

The other visa is "J-1." Also known as the Exchange Visitor Program, it is carried out pursuant to the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended. According to the U.S. Department of State Web site, "Its purpose is to enhance understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through educational and cultural exchanges." There are no limits on the number of J-1 visas that can be issued.

J-1 employment contracts are issued in one-year increments up to a maximum of three years. To qualify for a J-1 visa, international teachers must have an equivalent bachelor's degree in education and at least three years of teaching experience. They also have to pass all state licensure requirements and demonstrate excellent English communication skills before coming to the United States.

J-1 visa recipients are exempt from contributing to Social Security and Medicare during the first two years. The reason is they will not be around to collect benefits. School districts save money by not having to pay the employer's portion of the contribution. School districts likewise do not have to set aside money for retirement benefits.

International recruitment is not very complicated. Most countries already have specialists who can pre-qualify candidates, administer English language proficiency tests, obtain police clearances and health certificates and arrange personal interviews. Education department recruiters select from pre-screened candidates. Video-conferencing equipment is used for final interviews with school principals.

The Exchange Visitor Program was started so professionals from other countries would gain an understanding about America's heritage and culture. This knowledge is then shared with others when the visitors return home. The presence of international teachers in Hawaii would expose our students to different cultures, and they too would benefit from the exchange experience.