A Teachers’ Code for fair recruitment
A new Code, backed by the American Federation of Teachers, will help ensure that international recruitment and employment of teachers in the United States is ethical, fair and transparent.
In 2009, The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) published a landmark study, “Importing Educators: Causes and Consequences of International Teacher Recruitment,” that revealed a pattern of problems for migrant teachers. Extreme cases involved extortion, abuse, or fraud. Many other teachers dealt with bureaucratic problems, visa or job uncertainty, and culture shock—all of which could be mitigated by better planning, transparency, and support.
These problems include alien smuggling, visa fraud, contract “twinning,” domestic servitude, breakage fees, high housing charges, indefinite at-will status, bureaucratic challenges, and culture shock.
With funding from the MacArthur Foundation, a Task Force on the Ethical International Recruitment and Employment of Teachers was established that included teacher unions, recruiters, foreign-educated teachers, and employers. A series of Task Force meetings—where stakeholders discussed their pain points and needs—led to the development of The Teachers’ Code of Ethical International Recruitment and Employment Practices. Education International senior coordinator Dennis Sinyolo has collaborated in the drafting of the document.
The Code is based upon the belief that individuals have a right to migrate in pursuit of improved working conditions and to expand their professional opportunities. Because the migration of teachers is often facilitated by active international recruitment, the Code seeks to maximize the benefits and minimize potential harm for all parties involved in the international recruitment process.
Teacher shortage and cultural exchange
The code states that the international recruitment of educators to the United States is motivated by two distinct purposes:
Teacher Shortages: A large number of teachers have been recruited internationally for the purpose of addressing structural and persistent shortages in rural and urban schools, particularly in the content areas of math, science, special education and bilingual instruction. International recruitment should support the search for lasting solutions to persistent shortages and should not increase the problem of teacher turnover.
Professional and Cultural Exchange: Cultural and professional exchange programs are aimed at broadening the content of school curricula and increase the quality of teaching and learning through the interaction of U.S. students and teachers with educators from around the world. International exchange teachers add value to U.S. education by broadening language skills and increasing exposure to other cultures and perspectives.
While the Code addresses the obligations of parties involved in recruiting teachers to the United States, it also acknowledges that such recruitment has an impact on the countries from which teachers are recruited. Signatories to the Code commit to supporting the quality of teaching and learning in all affected education systems through the exchange of best practices.
