Wash. public schools hire some foreign teachers

Washington school districts have been applying for a type of work visa, more commonly used in the private sector, to hire teachers and staff from foreign countries.

At least 40 public school districts, from Bellevue to Pullman, in the state have applied for H-1B visas over the past five years, the Seattle Times reported.

District officials say they hire foreign workers to fill positions with shortages, in areas such as special education and math. Puyallup, for example, hired a high school English teacher from Jamaica, while Bellevue hired a parent-outreach coordinator from Chile.

Employers using the H1-B visa program don't have to show a lack of qualified U.S. teachers before they hire foreign workers. The visas are commonly used by high-tech companies such as Microsoft to bring foreign professionals into the state.

But school district may find it harder to support the hires as many districts face laying off teachers and staff this summer.

"Districts all up and down the I-5 corridor are laying off teachers, and so we have experienced teachers looking for jobs," said Lori Simmons with Federal Way Public Schools. She doubted whether her district would hire someone on the visa.

Districts have had mixed results using visa workers.

Francisco Size, 42, came to Washington from the Dominican Republic last year to work as a math teacher in the Highline School District south of Seattle.

"He was a viable candidate," said Don Waring, the district's human-resources director. "There aren't enough American math teachers to go around."

The school district is unusual because recruit teachers overseas, including going to Spain and Jamaica on trips paid by either the country's teacher-exchange program or a private agency.

Even though he had teaching experience, Size said he had some problems setting classroom rules and disciplining students. The district won't renew his contract for the next school year, so Size is trying to find other work or he must go home.

Pullman School District hired a graduate from Washington State University several years ago, unaware that he was a foreign national.

It hired Zhengmao "James" Yan as a computer systems administrator because he was highly qualified and enthusiastic about the job.

Two weeks into the job, Yan told the district he needed a visa to work legally in the country. The district agreed to sponsor him, but he had to pay the filing fees.

Yan, however, quit after three months because he feared deportation, so the district had to restart the hiring process.

The Issaquah School District had a good experience hiring Bettina Gehle of Germany several years ago to teach sports medicine and other classes.

"We are looking for qualities of a good teacher and that's the same whether the person is a citizen or someone going through the immigration process," said Kathy Miyauchi, the district's personnel director.

Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com