Prince George’s schools system recruits teachers from Philippines

Teachers from the Philippines have become a valuable resource in Prince George's County Public Schools as the system turns to their homeland to fill shortages in critical specialties like special education, early childhood development, mathematics and science.

The latest 107 recruits are expected to join their new classes Monday.

The teachers were welcomed at a reception in their honor at Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr. High School in Upper Marlboro Sept. 26.

‘‘You're helping us lower our class sizes and improve the quality of instruction," said Schools CEO John Deasy in his welcoming address.

School Board Chair Beatrice Tignor said the school system would do all it can to help make the teachers' stay, as satisfying as possible.

‘‘We are committed to supporting you and ensuring your success," Tignor said.

This is the third year that Prince George's has helped teachers from the Philippines obtain work visas so they could help the county achieving its teacher employment goals. Many of the Filipino teachers have five to 20 years of experience.

Prince George's school system is viewed as one where they would receive strong support and varied work experience.

‘‘I want to teach here; it's a new experience for me," said Roxie Bautista, 35, who is originally from Quezon City. ‘‘ I want to see how special education is taught here."

This is Bautista's fifth year of teaching special education and her first in the United States.

U.S. salaries are higher than those paid in the Philippines. One teacher said the Prince George's job offer was ‘‘very lucrative."

Classroom resources also are greater.

Bautista, like many other teachers from the Philippines, went through a yearlong application process to be able to work in the U.S.

The total number of Filipino teachers is about 217. Last year's contingent of about 80 teachers had a 97.5 percent retention rate, meaning they renewed their contracts for another year.

Filipino teachers are the most numerous group of teachers in the system after U.S. citizens.

Prince George's also recruits from other countries, and many other teachers come from the Caribbean, Africa and Europe, with the school system using the Internet as a recruiting tool.

Romaine Reid, head of Human Resources for the school system said that teachers in the Philippines had very similar accreditation requirements to those in the U.S., making it was easier for them to get a teaching job here.

Once in the county they tend to stay here, she said.

‘‘They have strong academic experience," Reid said. ‘‘They could have gone to another state or county, but they don't."

Teachers, once recruited, are furnished an apartment that they share with other Filipino teachers and pay for out of their salaries.

This arrangement allows them to help each other when they need camaraderie from one of their own countrymen.

‘‘We like to be able to share, especially when we are homesick," said Ching Rodriguez, president of Arrowhead, Inc., the Philippines-based company that helps the county recruit the teachers.

Filipino teachers can bring their families after about six months here and can eventually pursue American citizenship if they wish, Rodriguez said.

The teachers were both excited and nervous at the prospect of teaching Prince George's students who they believed were more opinionated and free-spirited than their Filipino counterparts.

‘‘We want to touch lives and share with the children here," said Marimelle Bicol, 28, another special-education teacher. ‘‘But we're scared, actually!"

Bicol said that the cultural differences she knew she would run into would be challenging.

Her friend Michelle Mancanlalay said that Filipino students are ‘‘very easy to discipline" and more compliant than American children.

‘‘At first, it's a struggle," Rodriguez said. ‘‘Some teachers took that assertive attitude personally at first.

‘‘But the teachers just sit down and talk with the kids and work it out."

E-mail Guy Leonard at gleonard@gazette.net.

Republished from: Gazette.net

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