- April 19, 2024
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Volusia County Schools is reviewing contracts with two international teacher companies, with the hopes to start planning and preparing for candidates for a new teacher pool next month to address instructional vacancies.
During a School Board workshop on Tuesday, Jan. 10, Human Resources Director Stephanie Workman reported that the district is in negotiations with Educational Partners International and the TPG Cultural Exchange Program, both J-1 visa programs, with the aim to have up to 50 candidates ready to hire by the time the district's job fair takes place in April.
From April to July, the district is planning to help the international candidates with their arrival in the U.S., including assisting them in finding housing.
"We would hope that they would be able to start on Aug. 2 when all of our other teachers do," Workman said.
Volusia isn't the only one looking at hiring international teachers to fill vacancies. In nearby Flagler County, the district is looking to contract TPG Cultural Exchange for likely less than a dozen positions.
How much will it cost the district?
The teachers will be paid the same increased base salary of $48,042 as other new hires. The savings — estimated at $635 per teacher in a three-year contract — come as a result of not having to pay health insurance, as the host company will provide this for the teacher. The district also doesn't have to contribute towards the teacher's retirement. In addition, for the first 18 months the teacher is in the U.S., the district will not have to pay the taxes associated with social security and Medicare.
Workman remarked that $635 may not seem like a lot of money, but that it "still an overall savings."
The district hopes to bring the contracts to the School Board for review at its next meeting on Jan. 24.
Instructional vacancies at VCS totaled 272 on the first day of school. By December 2022, that number had dropped to 194, and to date, vacancies dropped to 141. The drop during the winter break is a result of contract language and temporary statuses being invoked starting the second semester for any teacher that is hired, said Mark West, the district's chief human resource officer.
"So what we do is we take down all of those vacancies and then allow those principals to repost those vacancies as temporary for those that they feel are needed at that time," West said.
Support vacancies (custodial, paraprofessionals, transportation, etc.) total 239 to date, down from 347 on the first day of school.
