US public schools prefer Pinoys
US public schools prefer Pinoys
Date: Thursday, March 05, 2009 6:26 PM
<<<<< JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER No. 1986 -- 3/05/2009 >>>>>
Filipino teachers pay fees of several thousand dollars to the bodyshop
"Avenida International Consultants" for the privilege of teaching in the
United States. Avenida claims they pay for getting these teachers certified,
and for their H-1B visa expenses, which is probably true, but most likely the
cost comes out of the pockets of the Filipino teachers.
Avenida is a very profitable middleman that trades labor for fees. We used to
call labor arrangements like this "indentured servitude", but all Kentucky
schools care about is that they can hire cheap, docile, and abundant labor.
Taxpayers in that state must like the low paid teachers also because there
seems to be very few complaints in the comment sections in articles about the
topic.
The Fayette schools' only expense is paying the teachers' salaries,
which equal the amount American teachers with the same training
and experience would receive.
That statement by a Fayette school official is very misleading. It implies
that Kentucky is saving money because they don't pay for training American
teachers. In most cases unemployed Americans have to pay out of their own
pocket to get the additional education they need in order to receive a
teaching certificate -- it doesn't cost Kentucky or any other state any more
to hire an American. The pay isn't the same either. New teachers start on the
same starting pay scale but there are variances depending on district or the
type of teacher.
The majority of school districts pay teachers based on a formula based on
education and teaching experience. Older professionals who have spent a couple
of decades in industry have no advantage in starting salary over a young
Filipino that hasn't held any kind of professional job. Within a state,
salaries might vary by school district -- the better districts pay more.
Schools are more than happy to place Filipinos in the worst districts because
American teachers are less willing to accept the significant salary cuts and
terrible working conditions in the bad districts.
Kentucky is about 34th in the nation in teacher salaries but the pay is still
far more than a Filipino would make at home. American engineers and scientists
that want to change careers to teaching may be discouraged by the $30,000
starting salaries offered in Kentucky -- especially if they have to pay to go
back to school to get certified. Even if the American professionals get
certified there is no guarantee that a school will hire them -- in fact many
schools prefer younger teachers. If the American has teaching experience he or
she will be considered less desirable because the starting salary would be
higher -- another advantage to young Filipinos.
The border town of El Paso, Texas has been in the news a lot lately because of
the violence by drug cartels and human smugglers. Apparently there are a lot
of other types of fraud going on there with "legal" immigration:
But in El Paso, recruiters allegedly tricked Filipino teachers into
paying $10,000 or almost half a million pesos each to secure jobs in
Texas schools that never materialized. Federal charges, including
conspiracy to smuggle aliens into the US, have reportedly been filed
against several people.
Filipino teachers are used in many countries besides the United States.
It's sort of ironic that in the U.S., Pinoy teachers are hired because they
know Spanish, and in China they are hired because they know English. In China
most foreign teachers use "Z" visas.
NOTE: Pinoy is a slang term that is most often used by Filipino expatriates.
It's sort of like the term Desi by Indians.
COMMENT: I hope you caught me on the Chuck Wilder radio show. We talked a lot
about the Pinoy teachers but unfortunately didn't receive any phone calls. The
show is streamed two more times today, and I'll consider posting it online.
REFERENCES:
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/149788/US-public-schools-prefer-Pinoys-for-hard-to-fill-teaching-posts---report
US public schools prefer Pinoys for hard-to-fill teaching posts
http://www.kentucky.com/471/story/703126.html
Ky. county recruits Filipino teachers
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/131071/Not-all-schools-in-China-accept-Pinoy-teachers-POEA-warns#
Not all schools in China accept Pinoy teachers, POEA warns
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/149788/US-public-schools-prefer-Pinoys-for-hard-to-fill-teaching-posts---report
US public schools prefer Pinoys for hard-to-fill teaching posts
Article posted February 21, 2009 - 10:40 AM MANILA, Philippines - Over the
recent years, many public schools in the United States have preferred to
recruit teachers from the Philippines for hard-to-fill posts.
According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, public schools in Alabama have
always preferred to hire Filipino teachers because they always "seem to work
out well."
"Our experience was that they were very, very good educators," said Tim
Wilhite, a spokesman for the Baldwin County, Alabama Public Schools.
In Wilhite s county alone, a dozen Filipino teachers were hired in 2007.
"If we had the need for additional teachers, and couldn't fill the positions
locally, we d consider recruiting from the Philippines again,"
he said.
Likewise, 16 Filipino teachers were recruited from the Philippines to teach
mathematics, science and special education -- where certified teachers are
reportedly often hard to find -- at the Fayette County Public Schools in
Lexington, Kentucky.
The report said that recruiters from the Fayette schools went to the
Philippines in late 2007 to interview several dozen job applicants -- all of
whom have had teaching experience in the country.
From that pool, they selected 16 to teach in Lexington schools for the school
year 2008-2009. They are all working on visas sponsored by the county schools
that will allow them to stay in the United States for up to three years.
Fayette County School Superintendent Stu Silberman also said that they have
master s degrees and are qualified to teach in Kentucky.
Shortage of American teachers
However, public school officials were quick to defend that they are hiring a
lot of foreign teachers, specifically Filipinos, because there is a relatively
small number of prospective graduates from US colleges with training in
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects.
"We ve had some very serious shortage areas where we just can t find people in
these particular certifications," said Silberman.
As such, he said that they are just trying to "be innovative to find ways of
meeting these needs."
"We weren t keeping anybody out of jobs," he said.
The Fayette County has previously hired teachers from other countries to teach
foreign languages but it was only recently when the district directly
recruited a block of teachers from overseas.
As a result, the school system sometimes had to get emergency certifications
for people to teach STEM classes even though they lacked background in those
subjects, said Silberman.
Distressed Filipino teachers
Meanwhile, as more Filipinos get lured by these job opportunities, many more
end up distressed.
According to the report, two Filipino teachers who were working in the
Baltimore City Schools in Maryland committed suicide in 2007, apparently
depressed at being so far away from their family back home.
On the other hand, Roanoke, Virginia Public Schools reportedly recruited six
Filipino teachers in 2007 who didn t show up on time, prompting the schools to
cancel their job orders.
But in El Paso, recruiters allegedly tricked Filipino teachers into paying
$10,000 or almost half a million pesos each to secure jobs in Texas schools
that never materialized.
Federal charges, including conspiracy to smuggle aliens into the US, have
reportedly been filed against several people.
Nevertheless, Filipino teachers still seek jobs in US schools because the
salary is typically two to three times bigger than what they receive in the
Philippines.
Moreover, American recruiters like Filipino teachers because the Philippines
educational system closely resembles the US system. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan,
GMANews.TV
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.kentucky.com/471/story/703126.html
Posted on Sun, Feb. 22, 2009
Ky. county recruits Filipino teachers
The Associated Press
A recruiting trip to the Philippines turned into a success when officials from
the Fayette County public schools system ventured there in late 2007 looking
for teachers.
Now, 16 Filipino teachers are working in the school system, having been
recruited to teach such topics as math, science and special education,
subjects in which certified teachers often are hard to find.
The Filipinos arrived last summer and have been on the job since last August.
They are working on visas, sponsored by the county schools, allowing them to
stay in the United States up to three years. They have master's degrees and
are certified to teach in Kentucky, said Fayette County School Superintendent
Stu Silberman.
The Filipino teachers say the time and expense associated with teaching in the
United States are worth it, even if it sometimes means leaving family and
friends back in the Philippines.
Esmeralda Agustmn, 38, said she dreamed of teaching in the United States for
years before becoming a special education teacher at Deep Springs Elementary.
"My parents didn't want me to come because I am the youngest in the family,"
she told the Lexington Herald-Leader. "But when my father passed away a few
years ago, I encouraged my brothers to allow me to come here and work."
Maria Fatima Dela Peqa, 33, who is teaching at Winburn Middle School, said
Lexington was "an opportunity I couldn't pass up," even though it meant a long
separation from her husband. He's on a three-year tour as a school
administrator and teacher in Indonesia.
This is Dela Peqa's second U.S. tour. She taught in Palo Alto, Calif., from
2001 to 2004.
"I had a wonderful experience there, and I wanted to come back," she said.
"The first time it was more of an adventure. This time, it was something I
just wanted to do."
Dela Peqa said she and her husband, who will visit her here this summer, might
eventually settle in the United States.
Filipino teachers seek jobs in U.S. schools because salaries here typically
run two or three times the levels back home. And American recruiters like
Filipino teachers because the Philippines' educational system closely
resembles the U.S. system.
Each of the Filipino teachers who came to Lexington paid fees of several
thousand dollars to a California-based firm that worked with the Fayette
schools to facilitate the recruiting process.
The firm, Avenida International Consultants, in turn covered the cost of
getting the teachers certified in Kentucky, their travel here and other
related expenses.
The Fayette schools' only expense is paying the teachers' salaries, which
equal the amount American teachers with the same training and experience would
receive.
Recruiting foreign teachers to fill critical shortage areas has been a trend
in American elementary and secondary education for about a decade. In
Kentucky, the Jefferson County Public Schools have hired teachers from both
the Philippines and Barbados in recent years.
Fayette County previously has hired teachers from other countries to teach
foreign languages, but this is the first time the district has directly
recruited a block of teachers from overseas.
Silberman said school officials took the step because Fayette County has been
struggling to fill teaching slots for so-called STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering and Math) classes. As a result, the school system sometimes had to
get emergency certifications for people to teach STEM classes even though they
lacked background in those subjects, he said.
Educators blame the nationwide problem on the relatively small number of
prospective teachers who graduate from U.S. colleges with training in STEM
subjects. Most who have such training go into private business or industry
because the pay is better.
"We've had some very serious shortage areas where we just can't find people in
these particular certifications," Silberman said. "You have to be innovative
to find ways of meeting these needs."
Silberman stressed that the county schools have not recruited foreign teachers
when qualified people were available locally. "We weren't keeping anybody out
of jobs," he said.
Arnold Dacles, one of the 16 Filipino teachers, has had to make some
adjustments during his first year of teaching science at Leestown Middle
School, particularly during the recent wintry weather.
"I had never seen snow before," Dacles said. "Back home we only have two
seasons - wet and dry."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/131071/Not-all-schools-in-China-accept-Pinoy-teachers-POEA-warns#
Not all schools in China accept Pinoy teachers, POEA warns MARK JOSEPH UBALDE,
GMANews.TV Article posted November 03, 2008 - 07:28 PM Do's and Dont's For
Pinoys intending to work in China DO
1. Sign a contract only if it is written in a language that you understand.
2. Ensure that your prospective employer is authorized to hire foreign
workers.
3. Obtain a working "Z" visa from the Chinese Embassy (Manila, Cebu or Laoag).
4. Register with the Public Security Bureau (PSB) in your locality within
24 hours of arriving in China to secure your residence permit.
5. Stay with the employer/school/hotel who arranged for your working "Z"
visa. MANILA, Philippines - "Roland," an education graduate, was lured to work
in China as a teacher after seeing an advertisement on a newspaper.
The 23-year-old, however, found that he needed to shell out $2,000 (roughly
P98,000) to get a work visa and "appropriate lodging."
After paying the fees, Roland was duped into getting an "F" visa that would
expire in six months. Since foreigners cannot be allowed to work in China with
a business or F-visa, Rolando had a hard time looking for a job while staying
inside a cramped Beijing apartment with 45 other workers.
After a month, Roland was employed in Mongolia as a middle school teacher with
a $571 (roughly P28,000) monthly salary. Before his visa expired, Roland paid
a Chinese national to convert his F-visa to a working "Z-visa."
By some twist of fate, Mongolia s Public Security Bureau raided Roland s
middle school and found his fake visa. He was detained for a month and was
ordered to pay a fine of $2,212 (roughly P104,000) for illegally working in
China.
Roland s story is just one among the many sad stories of overseas Filipino
workers who were lured to work in China through dubious channels, the
Philippine Overseas Employment Agency said in a statement.
"While it is true that there is a need for English teachers in China, not all
schools are authorized by the Chinese government to hire foreign teachers,"
the POEA said.
Contract breaches and illegal recruitment involve unauthorized schools and
fly-by-night recruitment agencies "who hire Filipino teachers via the internet
or telephone," the agency said.
DON T
1. Accept a job offer that is not signed by the prospective employer.
2. Agree to housekeeper/maid/nanny jobs in mainland China.
Housekeepers/maids/nannies are not among the positions open to foreigners in
China .
3. Believe agents (Chinese or Filipino) who tell you to go to China as a
tourist so that they can convert your tourist "L" or business tour "F" visa to
a working "Z" visa.
4. Pay anyone to get you a visa to Europe or the United States while you are a
tourist in China. It cannot be done.
5. Entrust your passport to anybody - not your employer, not your agent, not
your "friend." - DFA, GMANews.TV The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier
warned that there are no job openings for Filipino domestic helpers in
mainland China.
The DFA noted that a growing number of Filipinos have fallen victims to
illegal recruiters who entice them to work in the East Asian country as maids,
nannies or housekeepers.
"They have ended up either underpaid, jobless, or jailed for working illegally
or beyond their visa validity or category," the DFA said in a statement.
While there are openings for migrant workers in the skilled, technical and
professional categories, the department still cautioned Filipinos regarding
the validity of such offers.
Filipino workers to China must first get hold of a 'Z' visa (working) and
apply for a work permit.
The following are also required to get a 'Z' visa from the Chinese Embassy in
Manila or the Chinese Consulates General in Cebu and Laoag:
A Visa Notice issued by the Municipal Foreign Economic and Trade Commission
or a appropriate Chinese government unit; and
An Alien Employment License (for those being hired by companies) issued by
the Municipal Labor and Social Security Bureau.
The Chinese working visa ('Z') is valid only for 30 days.
During that period, the Filipino worker visa must immediately go through
"residential formalities with the local public security bureau and the hiring
company must process the Alien Employment Permit."
The Alien Employment Permit on the other hand, is issued only for employment
with a specified company. Filipino workers should not accept employment
elsewhere by using the Alien Employment Permit.
Meanwhile, business "F" visa holders are given to visiting foreigners or those
who wish to participate in a business conference, short-term course, on-the-
job training, or scientific, technological and cultural exchanges for a period
not longer than six months.
"F" visa holders cannot work legally in China.
A tourist "L" visa cannot be converted to working "Z" visas or Business "F"
visas. "L" and "F" visa holders who insist on working in China have little
protection from abuse or mistreatment, with or without the presence of
employment contracts. - GMANews.TV
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