The COVID-19 pandemic worsened an existing teacher shortage nationwide. In Milwaukee Public Schools, there were as many as 200 teachers vacancies at a time.
One way MPS is trying to get ahead of the shortage next school year is by hiring from overseas.
The district plans to bring on 140 teachers from other countries, including Nigeria, Mexico and the Philippines. They’ll join about 60 international teachers who were hired in 2022.
"When you hear on your mark, you walk up to the line," Physical education teacher Mortimer Bennett told his class at Washington High School on a recent morning.
He was showing students the standing and kneeling starts used in track. The standing start is for longer races, the kneeling start is for sprints.
"We needed to run faster than that!" Bennett chides. "Alright, good try, good try. Now we’re going to do the standing start."
Bennett is from Jamaica. This is his first year in a U.S. classroom. His wife Nicole, who is also a teacher, moved here first in 2021. She teaches physical education at Milwaukee Marshall High School.
"We have been teaching for over 15 years in Jamaica. So we wanted a new challenge," Bennett says.
Bennett and their two school-aged sons followed Nicole to Milwaukee in 2022, and he was hired as a P.E. teacher at Washington. He says it was difficult at first.
"Because the students, they believe that because it’s gym they should play and do anything that they feel like," says Bennett. "And from there, it was a slow process, but they gradually understood the purpose of learning the skills in physical education and learning in general."
Student Serenity Williams says Bennett's class has been different from past physical education classes she's taken.
"He do his job well because he don’t let the class just sit around," Williams said. "He like to move around and do exercise, which a gym teacher should be doing."
Bennett is one of about 60 international teachers who started in MPS this school year. The district’s Director of Talent Management, Michael Harris, says about 140 foreign teachers are being hired for next school year.
"We’ve gone to Colombia, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Philippines, Nigeria," Harris says. "Of course, it’s a lengthy process, so we have to start early, but that was part of our strategic planning. We’re excited to bring these individuals on board."
Harris says in the past, MPS hired between 10-15 teachers from overseas, mainly for foreign language and bilingual positions. But with the educator shortage growing dire, MPS is trying to prepare better for next year by hiring more experienced teachers from abroad, especially for hard-to-fill positions like special education and certain high school subjects.
Harris says MPS is working with an immigration attorney to procure H-1B visas, which are typically for three years, but can be extended to six.
"We know that bringing folks in from other countries, they need to get accustomed to the way we do things here," Harris says. "It’s completely different. So the three-year [visa] gives us a greater opportunity to onboard these individuals and really make them feel at home."
Harris says an added benefit is that the new hires will increase MPS’s teacher diversity, better reflecting its student population.
MPS pays about $3,000 per teacher for visa processing, according to a spokesperson, and will also pay about $3,000 per teacher to temporarily house them when they arrive.
To qualify to teach in Wisconsin, international teachers apply for a license with the Department of Public Instruction.
"When you’re coming from out of country, we look at how you were prepared, the courses you took, the degree you received, any licenses you were issued, and determine whether you are eligible for a guest teacher license," says Jennifer Kammerud, who oversees licensing at DPI.
The guest teacher license, which is good for three years, is one option. Foreign teachers can also apply for a one-year emergency license.
Kammerud says there are other districts, besides MPS, that are recruiting more teachers from abroad. DPI did not answer which other districts those are.
Back at MPS, physical education teacher Mortimer Bennett says he and his family may try to stay permanently in the U.S., by applying for residency.
"It’s a good opportunity, mostly for my boys as well," Bennett says. "My older son, he swims and he has built a good family with his swim club. Sometimes I miss home, but I believe I came here for a reason. And with that reason, I am here to stay."
If the teacher shortage continues, MPS and other school districts may increasingly rely on educators like Bennett, who are seeking opportunities in the U.S.
MPS says international teachers who are interested in applying can email mpsinternational@milwaukee.k12.wi.us.
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