Struggling to find teachers close to home, some Texas schools are looking overseas for help

By Caroline Wilburn

The Texas Tribune

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Like many Texas school districts, the Aldine Independent School District near Houston has struggled to find teachers to fill its open positions, with local, state and nationwide searches yielding limited success.

So the district expanded its search parameters. Since last year, Aldine ISD has recruited 76 teachers from Colombia, the Philippines and more than a dozen other countries through Teach USA, a cultural exchange program that connects teachers worldwide with Texas public schools.

As Texas continues to grapple with chronic teacher shortages — and with little help from the state — districts like Aldine have had to look for creative solutions, like leaning on programs like these to address their staffing needs. Muzo Unlu, vice president of Global Education Concepts, the company that runs Teach USA, said more schools and districts in Texas have reached out recently asking about bringing international teachers to their campuses.