City school system to finally answer questions surrounding international teachers
On April 5, our reporters and editorial board asked the Baltimore school system to explain its hiring practices for international teachers. We were planning a story after news broke that the Prince George's County School System was fined millions by the Department of Labor for not paying its Filipino teachers' visa fees. After waiting all day for an answer, the school system responded at about 8 p.m. telling us that they "were looking into the matter."
We went with a story that explained how Baltimore, in fact, did have the same hiring practices as Prince George's County, which include sending staff over to the Phillipines on first-class trips to recruit teachers. The teachers pay between $8,000 and $10,000 to come here, including their own visa fees, we learned. All of our sources said this was common knowledge.
In the wake of that story, we asked the questions again to follow up on the story.
This week, we are exploring another angle of this story and posed the same questions to the district (literally, the same email with questions from April), in addition to an update on the current statuses of some international teachers.
We resurrected the request, with a few additional questions, last Wednesday. After two passed deadlines--with no indication of when I might receive the answers--I was informed that I should have them tomorrow morning.
When asked for an explanation of the delay, the school system said: "Erica: This is a complicated issue, and the district owes it to our teachers to be thorough in our investigation and responses to your questions concerning international teachers. Meanwhile, you have had other priorities along the way (i.e. budget, etc.), and we have been diligent in addressing those inquiries as well as your day-to-day media requests."
Maybe I have too many priorities? Maybe I ask too many questions?
Baltimoresun.com's 
Comments
BS Paper article @ school system standard practice to non-response to operations questions.
Involed in this same practice of non-response are the leadership within the school system governance meaning the policy makers School Board Commissioners, and the Office of Legal Counsel. Shake your head nodding "YES" BS Paper E.Green.
Posted by: Interested & Engaged Parent of City Schools | June 8, 2011 4:56 PM
How is this issue complicated? All they have to show is the series of steps to hire an international teacher. Surely this is written down somewhere? Maybe it's like a lot of the other parts of the system, with no documentation and everything in "people's heads" It's troubling that they cannot simply give an answer.
Posted by: GIkari | June 8, 2011 6:57 PM
"This is a complicated issue, and the district owes it to our teachers to be thorough in our investigation and responses to your questions concerning international teachers." TRANSLATION: We need time to destroy any and all evidence of our wrong-doing concerning the manipulation of international teachers. Keep asking questions Erica!
Posted by: Funny1 | June 8, 2011 8:58 PM
Erica, has the Department of Labor begun an investigation of BCPSS? If not, why? If there is sufficient evidence that they are doing the same injustices to the Filipino teachers as did PGPS, why not fine BCPSS?
Posted by: JCBabycakes | June 9, 2011 7:43 AM
More questions to ask:
1) Why did the schoolboard find it necessary to go oversees and bring foreign teachers into schools if they were already surplusing teachers?
2) I've been told that fillipino teachers are under a separate contract. Can you provide details on this contract?
3) Why were all International teachers given the automatic green light to stay at a turnaround schools like Patterson HS without being observed or interviewed?
Posted by: albatross1267 | June 9, 2011 12:59 PM
Funny 1 you are right, let the Department of Labor investigate the issue about foriegn teachers. Let them find out the violation BCPSS has done to the LCA of the foreign teachers. Its just a pity that most of the foreign teachers are scared to submit this issue to the Department of Labor.
Posted by: Lion in the Net | June 9, 2011 5:09 PM
Albatross:
1. The school board stopped recruiting foreign teachers in 2008. Prior to that, in order to satisfy the Federal mandates of No Child Left Behind (specifically "highly qualified"), Baltimore was but one of many school districts across the country that was recruiting foreign teachers. This was before the recession and before the current surplus of teachers. By the way, until Baltimore started recruiting foreign teachers to augment their existing teaching resources, hundreds of permanent teaching positions went unfilled every year. These positions were largely filled with uncertified teachers, who were hired as long term substitutes for the entire year. These were positions that went unfilled, largely because no American teacher wanted that particular "undesirable' position (because of the school's reputation, location, or difficult assignment)
2. Filipino teachers are under the same contract and same requirements, agreed upon between the Baltimore City School Board and the BTU. Absolutely the same as ANY teacher hired in Baltimore City.
3. All international teachers were in fact, NOT given "the automatic green light" to stay at turnaround schools like Patterson. All you need to do is review the data from last year's turnaround schools to see that this assertion is false as well.
I hope this clarifies your concerns and questions.
Posted by: r. anthony japzon | June 10, 2011 2:53 AM
No, sir, no, it does not clarify any of MY concerns. I am no fool, sir. Apparently, you take us all for fools.
You claim to have hired the foreign teachers because you could not recruit "highly qualified" American teachers. Please answer this question, how many of these foreign teachers had PASSED their subject matter Praxis tests BEFORE they set foot in the classroom in Baltimore City Schools? Please, give an approximate percentage?
Obviously, many of them had not passed their Praxis exams before they began teaching so the district arranged emergency permits for them. Please answer the question, "Why were these emergency permits not issued to Americans instead?"
This is all a transparent scheme to avoid paying pensions and avoid allowing American teachers to move up on the pay ladder. By hiring foreign teachers, the district places an effective cap on the salaries earned (because these teachers can be easily gotten rid of after year 3 or year 6) and an effective cap on pensions and retirement pay. Plus, they are basically indentured servants so the district and principals don't have to deal with American teachers who will stand up for themselves.
How can people believe this obvious scam. Come on--is this scenario really believable to anyone: Rich country X that performs in the middle of the pack on international tests of mathematics must recruit its teachers from poor country Y that has one-third of its population and that is at the third from the bottom in math on international tests.
Hmm, can't anyone else see that the math just doesn't add up?
Posted by: not born yesterday | July 4, 2011 4:57 AM