Atlanta, DeKalb schools announce changes to foreign teacher contracts
Two of Georgia’s largest school districts are altering their approach to hiring international teachers after an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution into how these foreign teachers are treated.
DeKalb County and Atlanta Public Schools each have said they plan to reduce their reliance on recruiting firms. DeKalb superintendent Michael Thurmond said the district will start by rebidding its annual contract, with additional language meant to bring greater accountability, while moving toward less use of recruiting firms. APS said it will discontinue use of the firms entirely.
Neither district offered any guarantees for the teachers currently in its classrooms, a continuation of the arm’s-length approach districts have used with international teachers. That means teachers hired by recruiting firms currently in the districts likely will find themselves looking a new job in another district. If they can’t find one, they and their families may face deportation under the terms of their work visas.
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About the Author
Joyner is the deputy politics editor. He has been with the AJC since 2010 as a member of the investigations and politics team.
