Jan. 13, 2007 — While its members are pushing toward 100-percent teacher certification, the V.I. Board of Education and some recently recruited instructors find themselves contending with immigration requirements in a race against federal visa time limits.
During an emergency meeting on St. Thomas over the weekend, the board unanimously voted to certify 25 teachers on St. Croix and 20 teachers in the St. Thomas-St. John district. Terrence D. Joseph and other board members said there is a need to "expedite" certification for several of the "foreign teachers" that have been working in the territory.
Joseph stressed, though, that many on the certification lists are local teachers.
After the meeting, Board of Education Executive Director Carol Henneman said, "When these individuals come to work for us, they were given a work visa and a certain amount of time in which they have to become eligible for certification. If that doesn't happen by the time their visa expires, then they won't be able to get another one."
Board officials also said that some of the teachers — who have been brought in on a three-year contract with the Education Department — are not given enough time to fulfill all the certification requirements.
"There are a lot of courses the teachers have to take, such as the V.I. History class, and then they have to pass the Praxis I exam," Henneman explained. "But each teacher has to meet very content-specific standards. In some cases, not everyone has the money to take all the classes, and sometimes, as is the case with some of our off-island teachers, English isn't their first language, so they need some help with the reading and writing.
"But in all cases, it takes time to fulfill all the requirements, and when you're given a specific timetable — like 10 months or a year, two years — it's just not possible," she said.
While the agency is trying to remedy the situation by offering a prep class for teachers — Henneman said teachers who need help passing the Praxis I or II will be given a tutor — she and other board members have enlisted the help of Delegate Donna M. Christensen to work out some of the kinks in the immigration system.
"I have been approached by some of our teachers, and Board of Education members, who have said that some of these individuals have been brought over on a three-year contract, but have been given less time to earn their certification," Christensen said Sunday.
She said her office had been asked to help some teachers who have already been deported for lacking their certification.
"But we have committed to trying to rectify whatever problems there are, and trying to make sure that the visas are lengthened to the meet the term of the contract," she said.
During the weekend meeting, Henneman said that all approved certificates could be picked up at the board's offices on Monday.
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