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Highly rated United States teacher recruitment agency is stepping up its search for Jamaican educators, citing their strong classroom management skills, curriculum knowledge, and positive energy as qualities that set them apart from their peers.
A J-1 designated teacher sponsor recognised by the United States Department of State in Washington, DC, the Foreign Academic & Cultural Exchange Services (FACES) recruits educators from around the world and places them in classrooms in South Carolina for periods ranging from three to five years under a cultural exchange programme.
The programme allows participants to bring their professional expertise, academic qualifications, and cultural experiences into American classrooms, while exposing students to the traditions and practices of other countries.
At the same time, teachers gain certifications, professional development, and skills that they can take back to their home countries when they return at the end of the allotted period.
FACES has recruited more than 2,000 teachers over its 27 years of operation. However, Aleksandra Patrascu, communication director at the agency, said Jamaican educators have distinguished themselves and are frequently sought after by schools participating in the programme.
“We’ve found great success with Jamaican teachers due to the great English that they speak. For them, there’s not a lot of language barrier when they get to South Carolina, as opposed to teachers from other parts of the world where the language might be a little bit strange. Jamaican teachers are strongly trained in the curriculum… We’ve had a lot of very successful English teachers from Jamaica,” said Patrascu.
“They are trained in the British curriculum, which is something that was very popular here in South Carolina and that schools loved a lot,” she told the Jamaica Observer.
“Jamaican teachers have very strong classroom management. I’ve had the honour to observe Jamaican teachers in their elementary school classroom and in their Spanish classroom, and you can see that there was a presence in that classroom… I know how hard it can be to be in a classroom with 30 students that you’re trying to mould and model, and Jamaican teachers have done a tremendous job in doing that,” Patrascu
added.
In addition to the Jamaicans’ skills training, she said the island’s proximity to the United States is a bonus because it is easier for the educators to travel home for special events and celebrations to see their family. She added that Jamaicans are also familiar with American culture, making it easier for them to adapt and face less culture shock.
Above all, Patrascu said the positive attitude of Jamaicans is contagious.
“I think it’s something in the air in Jamaica because our Jamaican teachers are very happy. They’re very positive people… They have sunshine in their heart. They’re just happy people. We see that with a lot of the teachers that come from the Caribbean, and we joke that it’s just the sun in the island and the sea air that make people just be a happy individual. They’re happy to be in the classroom, they’re happy with their career, and they’re proud of their career. We’ve experienced nothing but success with Jamaican teachers in our programme,” she told the Sunday Observer.
According to Patrascu, FACES recruited 12 Jamaican teachers this year, while approximately 60 Jamaican educators have participated in the programme over the past 27 years, with some returning to the United States for more than one exchange period.
With continued demand for educators, she said FACES is hoping to recruit even more Jamaican teachers to participate in the programme in a wide range of areas, including elementary education, English, Spanish, physical education, special education, and science.
She boasted that many Jamaican educators have been recognised for their success on the programme, walking away with awards for teacher of the week, month, and year.
Among them is Jermaine Howell, who taught grade five at Golden Spring Primary in St Andrew before joining the programme. He was named teacher of the year at Cedar Fork Elementary School in Morrisville, North Carolina. Camilla Walsh-Reynolds, a Spanish Town educator with 26 years’ experience and a background as a school principal, also serves as international teacher lead at JW Coon Elementary in Cumberland County.
Additionally, Tamar Blair-Robinson, a May Pen, Clarendon native, was honoured as teacher of the month, international teacher of the year, and adviser of the month at Lillington Shawtown Elementary School.
“For an international teacher to be honoured or to be recognised as teacher of the year at their school, that means they did something to stand out from all of the other American and international teachers in that school, and that is huge,” said Patrascu in congratulating the educators.
“That’s why if there’s a chance that we see Jamaican teachers apply, we get super excited and super giddy because we know that there’s other sponsors recruiting from the island and there’s only so many teachers in Jamaica, but they know our programme, they trust us, and we welcome them,” she told the Sunday Observer.
She invited interested individuals to visit the agency’s website facesinc.org to apply to the programme, noting that the application process is free. Once applications are received, an interview will be conducted to assess the educators’ goals and reason for joining the programme. Individuals are also screened, after which their teaching profile will be posted on the company’s website for school districts to assess and select their desired candidate.
Patrascu said FACES covers the air fare for successful candidates, providing them with assistance to secure housing, transportation, and a cellphone with a monthly plan. She stresses that international teachers receive the same benefits as local teachers and are compensated on the same scale.
