Colorado schools utilize visa program to fill teacher gaps, add diversity

If you drop in on one of Nicole Oysen's classes at Carmel Community School, you will find a scene you'd hope you would find in every classroom.

She takes time to prepare before confidently engaging with a classroom full of well-behaved students who have an affection and admiration for their teacher that's apparent.

"It's been so good," she said. "The kids have been great this year."

What's less obvious is how Oysen came to them. Hailing from the Philippines, she is in the middle of her third year of teaching eighth grade science in Colorado Springs through Harrison School District 2's J-1 Visa program.

She, along with 37 other international educators, is teaching D-2 students for a limited time to help the schools fill teaching vacancies while, at the same time, experiencing the United States.

At the same time, her students learn about a culture they likely wouldn't have been exposed to otherwise. In addition to teaching them science, Oysen teaches them about her home country and traditions.

Classes have held fiestas and tried Filipino cuisine like lumpia. Soon, they were researching the country themselves, asking her their own questions.

"I think the beach," she said, when asked her students' favorite topic about the Philippines. "They ask me a lot about the beach, because they don't really have that here in Colorado."

Although D-2 has welcomed J-1 teachers dating back to 2015, it's a relatively new solution to current workforce challenges in Colorado, albeit a growing one.

According to BridgeUSA, the government program that oversees the visas, there were 191 J-1 teachers in Colorado in 2023, an increase from 116 teachers in 2022.

Colorado Department of Education's chief talent officer, Margarita Tovar, said that a number of education agencies have opted to participate in the program for reasons varying from demographics to student needs to overall program needs.

"We see rural districts are now learning more about the process and they are taking advantage of it just as much as more urban districts," she said.

Visas in public education

J-1 Visas were first introduced through the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 to strengthen U.S. diplomacy with foreign nations through educational and cultural exchange. In addition to teachers, students, interns, doctors and scholars can apply for the exchange program.

Upon conclusion of their tenure, which ranges from three to five years, participants return to their country to share their experiences and the American approach to their profession.

The differences between education in the U.S. and the Philippines are numerous, Oysen said. Along with contrasting work-life balances, wages and expectations, Filipino classrooms regularly feature over 60 students, and respect toward teachers is expected, given their esteemed position.

"Whereas here you really need to build those relationships with each student," she said.

As for what foreign nations have learned from U.S. education, Tovar said specific examples over the years have included the greater attention to career and technical education, fine arts and education beyond the K-12 grades for students.

"So there is a mutual benefit when we have this international exchange agreement," she said.

Filling local needs

Along with cultural and economic differences, Oysen also noted the contrasts in the respective job markets, with the Philippines being much more "competitive" for educators, making that country, in particular, a viable option to addressing America's recent teacher shortages.

To date, programs have been successful in helping fill workforce gaps on a temporary basis. School districts have participated partly to establish programs they lacked and for which they did not have the proper personnel.

As a result, Tovar said, more students are now seeing teachers who look and speak like them for the first time.

"Now, there is a dual benefit that students who grew up here in America may not have access to travel or may not have access to other cultures," she said. "They are also learning and also being exposed to new language, new cultures ... so it's both beneficial for native language speakers, but then also, obviously, bilingual students."

She added that international teachers often come to the U.S. with doctorate and masters' degrees and have helped fill subjects with a greater need, like math and science, or positions that require additional credentials, like special education.

According to the U.S. Department of Education , teacher shortage areas in Colorado decreased over the past year, with the previously mentioned subject areas no longer listed for the 2024-25 school year.

"It's been amazing to bring that level of expertise into our classes," Harrison D-2's human resources director Pamela Aragon said. "It's almost like it's an added benefit, on top of learning what it's like to grow up and what it's like to teach in other countries."

Aragon admitted that, due to time and budget limitations, the program doesn't necessarily provide a long-term solution, but it does provide a certain level of assurance knowing that "they're locked in for the next 3-5 years."

"Which is not bad, given the [recent] trends in teacher retention," she said.

'We hire to fit, not to fill.'

Along with the opportunities provided to local students, mutual benefits are felt by fellow educators abroad and back home. D-2 currently hosts 35 Filipino teachers along with one from Mexico and one from India who are teaching at 12 of the district's schools. Some may only have one J-1 teacher while others have multiple teachers, like Harrison High School with six, and Carmel with eight.

Carmel principal Kellie Moore said that her school district was an ideal candidate for the program early, given their focus on diversity.

"We hire to fit, not to fill," she said. "And we already have such a diverse student population that we felt that this made sense for us."

J-1 programs and their funding vary and can include sponsorships and assistance for housing, childcare and transportation. Some have teachers pay for their own immigration fees. In D-2's case, each J-1 teacher is provided $15,000 for relocation fees before they begin earning the regular salary for the district.

Along with financial aid, D-2's program has developed its own support network for its teachers through a mentoring program and monthly connection circles where fellow visa teachers meet and discuss their experiences.

"They're trying their best to make us feel welcome and make us feel like we're okay here, and it's just so good," Oysen said.

Aragon says she believes these types of programs will be a "really great option" as long as there are challenges to filling teaching positions. She added that more districts will likely be giving it a try as they hear about their successes and experiences.

She added that this has certainly worked in her district's favor to date.

"We're getting all these emails from other candidates who have heard from our past teachers," she said. "So the word of mouth is very strong, which is a great recruitment tool for us."