National Public Radio reported this morning on the deceptive practices of an international teacher recruiting firm in Los Angeles, called Universal Placement International.
Apparently, this firm specialized in recruiting teachers from the Phillipines and was doing significant work with the state of Louisana to bring in math and science teachers. Here is a print report on the story from The Shreveport Times
The Louisiana Federation of Teachers has submitted complaints on behalf of Filipino teachers across the state against the recruiting firm and its president for stealing money from the teachers. The state group submitted its complaints to the Louisiana Workforce Commission and the Louisiana Attorney’s office late Wednesday. The complaints were filed on behalf of teachers working in Caddo, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson Parishes and the Recovery School District.
According to the NPR story, recruits paid as much as $15,000 up front for placement and then gave the firm 10% of their salary for two years.
First, I have to be careful in writing this not to sound xenophobic. So, let me say that if a school district decided that they wanted to recruit teachers internationally because having teachers from other cultures provides a richer, broader educational experience, I think that is great. But, having to hire math and science teachers from another country because we can't get enough of our own people interested in teaching math and science is ridiculous.
Second, if all of the allegations are true, then what this company has done to these people is criminal, and good for the American Federation of Teachers for exposing them.
A company that recruited foreign teachers to work in Louisiana schools cheated those teachers out of thousands of dollars and held them in virtual servitude, according to international educators who sought help from the Louisiana Federation of Teachers.
The LFT and the AFT brought these complaints, which involve multiple violations of state and federal law, to the Louisiana Workforce Commission and the Louisiana attorney general on Sept. 30. Attorneys for the unions are asking that the teachers' contracts with the California-based recruiter be voided, and that the recruiter be criminally prosecuted under state law.
I want to kick something every time I hear somebody malign teachers unions.
Third, I was tempted to think this was just a Southern (Red State) thing, but the NPR report mentioned the extensive use of these international search firms by schools in Maryland. That brings me to a final point. I am sure there are companies that do this kind of work in a much better way than Universal Placement International, and they should not all be lumped together.
So, the big question is: Why, when we have relatively high unemployment and complaints about "shipping jobs overseas," does the country that has so often led the world in education have to import teachers from what most of our citizens would likely describe as "developing" countries?"