Latest news with #Camba
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
South Dakota has a teacher shortage; here's how international educators are helping
STEPHAN, S.D. – "Three, two, one. OK, in your seats." Just as she did as a teacher in her native Philippines, Madgelie Camba uses a countdown method to gain the attention of the gaggle of second-graders she now teaches at the Crow Creek Tribal School in central South Dakota. Her diminutive stature and slight Filipino accent create no barriers to effectively managing and teaching the students, who on a recent day were in their seats with pencils ready by the time Camba's countdown reached its end. "I have to be strict with my kids, very consistent, so they get used to a routine," said Camba, who has 24 years of teaching experience. "After that, they will be more motivated to learn." Camba is part of a growing trend in which South Dakota school districts are increasingly hiring international teachers on visa programs to fill open classroom positions. In all, 446 international teachers hold active certificates to teach in South Dakota schools, said Mary Stadick Smith, deputy secretary for the South Dakota Department of Education. The number of certificates issued to international teachers peaked in the 2023-24 school year, when 138 new certificates were issued, she said. More: Immigration crackdown comes to South Dakota as ICE enforcement intensifies About 50 public school districts, roughly 25% of the state total, had foreign teachers on staff in 2024, the DOE said. The top three countries of origin are the Philippines, Columbia and Spain. The DOE said the foreign instructors teach a variety of subjects and grade levels, and all must have valid visas and state certification as required by law. South Dakota, like nearly every other U.S. state, struggles with a shortage of teachers, making international educators a hot prospect for desperate administrators. As of January, the Associated School Boards of South Dakota had 366 openings listed on its statewide education job board, though that included some non-teaching positions. In early February, the Sioux Falls School District listed 37 teacher openings, and the Rapid City Area Schools had 45 openings. An aging workforce and high level of retirements, low pay compared to other states and increased political tension in the classroom are creating the teacher shortage, according to prior reporting by News Watch. South Dakota Education Secretary Joseph Graves said in an email to News Watch that the state supports the use of international teachers. "This has proved to be an effective strategy in remote areas of the state where schools have an especially difficult time finding qualified teachers," Graves wrote. Schools adapt to teacher vacancies in several ways, including doubling class sizes, obtaining a state waiver to employ a long-term substitute or using computers to access virtual teaching. More: South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden signs his first bill, banning sanctuary cities in SD But for Rob Coverdale, superintendent of Crow Creek Tribal School district in Stephan, those options were unacceptable because student learning could be negatively affected. Instead, Coverdale has led an effort to recruit more international teachers to the district, which now employs 22 teachers from the Philippines, making up roughly half its certified teaching staff. "It's hard to get teachers anywhere, but out here in Stephan, it's even harder," he said of the tiny community that is about an hour drive from Pierre or Chamberlain. Hiring international teachers is time-consuming and expensive, costing about $5,000 to $8,000 per employee, Coverdale said. Teachers come to Crow Creek either on a J-1 non-immigrant visa, which is aimed at cultural exchanges, or an H-1B non-immigrant visa that is for individuals working in specialized, high-need fields of employment. J-1 visas are easier to obtain but last only two to five years, while H-1B visas can last up to six years, Coverdale said. More: Native American absenteeism challenges SD educators: 'There's no silver bullet' The teachers who come to South Dakota and other U.S. states tend to have several years of classroom experience and advanced college degrees, Coverdale said. "It's quite a process, but the end result is you get great, experienced teachers," he said. Coverdale said all of his international teachers are bilingual and speak very strong English and they earn salaries well beyond what they could back home. Camba, 45, lives in a rental home on the Crow Creek school campus with her husband, who also teaches at the school, and their teenage daughter, who attends high school in nearby Highmore. Earning two salaries in the U.S. has allowed the couple to build a home and buy a farm in the Philippines, and to help support her parents and nine siblings back home. Ronneil Vergara is a native of the Philippines who has taught in several foreign countries, including at Crow Creek Tribal School, where he now teaches special education. So far, he has been pleased by his decision to teach in South Dakota and feels it has helped him grow as a person and as an educator. "Some of the parents of my students here have treated me like I was part of their family," Vergara said. The Sioux Falls School District employs a few international teachers but only in its Spanish language immersion program, said district spokeswoman DeeAnn Konrad. 'In our schools, it is for a specific skill set that they're coming here with and that's to speak and teach in their native language of Spanish,' Konrad said. George Shipley, superintendent of the Bison School District in remote northwestern South Dakota, first learned of the concept of recruiting foreign teachers when he was an administrator for the McLaughlin School District. When he took the job in Bison, the district already employed teachers from the Philippines, and Shipley has gladly continued the effort. Shipley said the Bison community has embraced the foreign teachers, with one resident making available a three-bedroom home that is rented by a small group of teachers who live together. 'I'm very honored and appreciative of what these folks are doing because it's a huge culture shock for them,' he said. 'You leave a tropical island, you've never seen snow in your life, and now you live in northern South Dakota in December? My goodness.' This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at and sign up for an email to get stories when they're published. Contact Bart Pfankuch at This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: South Dakota schools get welcome boost from international teachers
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
International educators help alleviate South Dakota teacher shortage
This story is reported by , a non-profit news organization. Find more in-depth reporting at . STEPHAN, S.D. (SDNW) – 'Three, two, one. OK, in your seats.' Just as she did as a teacher in her native Philippines, Madgelie Camba uses a countdown method to gain the attention of the gaggle of second-graders she now teaches at the Crow Creek Tribal School in central South Dakota. Her diminutive stature and slight Filipino accent create no barriers to effectively managing and teaching the students, who on a recent day were in their seats with pencils ready by the time Camba's countdown reached its end. 'I have to be strict with my kids, very consistent, so they get used to a routine,' said Camba, who has 24 years of teaching experience. 'After that, they will be more motivated to learn.' Camba is part of a growing trend in which South Dakota school districts are increasingly hiring international teachers on visa programs to fill open classroom positions. In all, 446 international teachers hold active certificates to teach in South Dakota schools, said Mary Stadick Smith, deputy secretary for the South Dakota Department of Education. The number of certificates issued to international teachers peaked in the 2023-24 school year, when 138 new certificates were issued, she said. About 50 public school districts, roughly 25% of the state total, had foreign teachers on staff in 2024, the DOE said. The top three countries of origin are the Philippines, Columbia and Spain. The DOE said the foreign instructors teach a variety of subjects and grade levels, and all must have valid visas and state certification as required by law. South Dakota, like nearly every other U.S. state, struggles with a shortage of teachers, making international educators a hot prospect for desperate administrators. As of January, the Associated School Boards of South Dakota had 366 openings listed on its statewide education job board, though that included some non-teaching positions. In early February, the Sioux Falls School District listed 37 teacher openings, and the Rapid City Area Schools had 45 openings. An aging workforce and high level of retirements, low pay compared to other states and increased political tension in the classroom are creating the teacher shortage, according to prior reporting by News Watch. Across the country in 2022, there were 36,000 teacher vacancies and about 163,000 educators teaching classes they were not certified or trained in, according to the Annenberg EdExchange at Brown University. South Dakota Education Secretary Joseph Graves said in an email to News Watch that the state supports the use of international teachers. 'This has proved to be an effective strategy in remote areas of the state where schools have an especially difficult time finding qualified teachers,' Graves wrote. 'While DOE is not involved in local hiring decisions, we are supportive of districts' efforts to use qualified international teachers as one strategy for addressing teacher shortages.' Schools adapt to teacher vacancies in several ways, including doubling class sizes, obtaining a state waiver to employ a long-term substitute or using computers to access virtual teaching. But for Rob Coverdale, superintendent of Crow Creek Tribal School district in Stephan, those options were unacceptable because student learning could be negatively affected. Instead, Coverdale has led an effort to recruit more international teachers to the district, which now employs 22 teachers from the Philippines, making up roughly half its certified teaching staff. 'It's hard to get teachers anywhere, but out here in Stephan, it's even harder,' he said of the tiny community that is about an hour drive from Pierre or Chamberlain. 'So having 100% certified teachers on staff, it's a nice place to be.' Hiring international teachers is time-consuming and expensive, costing about $5,000 to $8,000 per employee, Coverdale said. The costs, sometimes paid to companies that arrange for teacher hirings, go for documentation to clear customs, obtain a visa, complete a background check and earn state certification. Teachers come to Crow Creek either on a J-1 non-immigrant visa, which is aimed at cultural exchanges, or an H-1B non-immigrant visa that is for individuals working in specialized, high-need fields of employment. J-1 visas are easier to obtain but last only two to five years, while H-1B visas can last up to six years, Coverdale said. The teachers who come to South Dakota and other U.S. states tend to have several years of classroom experience and advanced college degrees, Coverdale said. So far, Coverdale said he has been highly impressed with their prowess in teaching and ability to connect with students. 'It's quite a process, but the end result is you get great, experienced teachers,' he said. 'From top to bottom, I've been very pleased with their attitudes and the results.' Coverdale said all of his international teachers are bilingual and speak very strong English, and they bring a refreshing dose of multiculturalism to the schools, the students and their parents and the local community. The international teachers live in on-campus housing and some have brought their children to learn in local schools and a few brought spouses, including some who also work as teachers or in other positions within the school district. The Filipino teachers have created a collegial atmosphere on the campus, helping each other and often traveling together to Pierre to go shopping or to Huron, where they are able to find Asian foods. Coverdale said the international teachers are paid on the same scale as other district teachers, with a starting annual salary of $47,000 that rises with experience and education level. 'It's an awesome professional and financial opportunity for them,' he said. 'Their earning power, especially when it comes to the money value back home, it's substantial.' Camba, 45, lives in a rental home on the Crow Creek school campus with her husband, who also teaches at the school, and their teenage daughter, who attends high school in nearby Highmore. Earning two salaries in the U.S. has allowed the couple to build a home and buy a farm in the Philippines, and to help support her parents and nine siblings back home. Camba said the children she teaches at Crow Creek are similar to students she taught in the Philippines and in Bahrain, though she sees less parental involvement among some American parents, especially those who struggle financially, she said. Camba said she enjoys the quiet, safe and isolated nature of living in Stephan on the Crow Creek Indian Reservation, though after a couple years, she has soured on the cold weather. 'At first, I was excited by snow and the winters, but now I'm tired of it,' she said. However, between her love for her students and the welcoming nature of the Crow Creek school and local community, Camba said she has become more comfortable in her surroundings. 'I'm starting to feel that South Dakota is my home,' she said. Ronneil Vergara is a native of the Philippines who has taught in several foreign countries, including at Crow Creek Tribal School, where he arrived last fall. Vergara teaches special education – one of the high-need fields in South Dakota schools – and works to improve reading, language and math skills for students with physical or learning disabilities. He has a master's degree and two doctoral degrees in education and curriculum. The transition to teaching in the U.S. is fairly easy for many Philippine teachers because the schools there are based on the principles of the American education system and English is the primary language. Vergara said his salary in the U.S., which is three or four times what he would earn as a teacher in the Philippines, allows him to send money back home, in particular to care for his brother who suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident. 'My job here sustains him,' he said. Vergara, 37, is on an H-1B work visa, which is for three years but allows for another three years if renewed. Vergara is also not a big fan of winter weather and can get depressed. But he has found enjoyment in getting his driver's license, buying a used Ford Explorer and traveling around the state and greater Midwest. So far, he has been pleased by his decision to teach in South Dakota and feels it has helped him grow as a person and as an educator. 'Some of the parents of my students here have treated me like I was part of their family,' Vergara said. 'I have been warmly welcomed, and it has been a pleasure to be of service here in the school. And I hope they are enjoying our presence here.' The Sioux Falls School District employs a few international teachers but only in its Spanish language immersion program, said district spokeswoman DeeAnn Konrad. 'In our schools, it is for a specific skill set that they're coming here with and that's to speak and teach in their native language of Spanish,' Konrad said. George Shipley, superintendent of the Bison School District in remote northwestern South Dakota, first learned of the concept of recruiting foreign teachers when he was an administrator for the McLaughlin School District. When he took the job in Bison, the district already employed teachers from the Philippines, and Shipley has gladly continued the effort. 'These are highly qualified teachers, and on average, we're getting teachers from the Philippines with 10 years of experience and advanced degrees,' Shipley said. 'They are awesome teachers who usually breeze through the certification process of the South Dakota Department of Education.' The Bison schools have integrated some of the Filipino culture into its schools as a way to educate students and staff and broaden cultural awareness in the community, Shipley said. The school cook has implemented some Filipino dishes into the student menu along with other non-traditional student meals. When a student tries a new dish, they get a sticker to wear home so their parents know they experienced something new, Shipley said. 'It's a bigger tapestry at our school that allows us to explore new ideas, and these (international) teachers are part of that,' he said. While he continues to support the district's foreign teachers and promotes their value inside and outside the school system, Shipley said the biggest incentive to bring them to Bison is to alleviate the ongoing teacher shortage. 'The bottom line is this: 'Do you want a teacher in the classroom or do you want your kids to learn virtually through a video screen?'' he said. The Bison schools contract with a firm called Teach Quest, which works with schools across the country by handling the teacher recruitment and immigration paperwork. Shipley said the Bison community has embraced the foreign teachers, with one resident making available a three-bedroom home that is rented by a small group of teachers who live together. During summers, some Filipino teachers have toured Yellowstone National Park or visited relatives in New Jersey or other states, Shipley said. A couple of Filipino teachers have obtained a driver's license and a car, which they can sell to new Filipino teachers who come to Bison to teach, he said. Shipley said he has great respect and a deep appreciation for the guts it takes for Filipino teachers to come to Bison. 'I'm very honored and appreciative of what these folks are doing because it's a huge culture shock for them,' he said. 'You leave a tropical island, you've never seen snow in your life, and now you live in northern South Dakota in December? My goodness.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Guardian
31-01-2025
- The Guardian
‘Deep down, all Englishmen are policemen': Spanish anthology recounts life in Edwardian London
The first of the myriad anglosajón peculiarities that would bedevil, confound and exasperate Julio Camba in his 15 months as London correspondent for El Mundo revealed itself when a porter tried to help the young Spanish journalist with his luggage as he arrived at Victoria station in December 1910. 'The worker grabbed my suitcase and shouted, so I started to shout, too,' he wrote shortly afterwards. 'Given that I'm Spanish, I shouted much more than he did and, finally, he shut up.' Camba swiftly concluded that, unlike their Spanish, French and Italian neighbours, the English were not given to passionate outbursts. Or passion. Or, indeed, outbursts. 'The English,' he noted in an aphorism that has hardly aged over the past 115 years, 'endure the proximity of the continent with the same irritable gestures as a man who lives next door to a young music student.' That observation – and many others, ranging from the pithy to the waspish, the sarcastic and the downright horrified – are gathered together for the first time in an anthology of Camba's London dispatches called Viviendo a la inglesa (Living the English Way). Despite a taste for adventure – Camba had stowed away on a boat to Argentina at the age of 13, flirted with, and rejected, anarchism, and chronicled the progress of the young turks in Constantinople – the fog, starch and impenetrable social rituals of Edwardian England proved something of a challenge for him. But he distilled his frustrations into some exquisite sketches. Take his thoughts on the contrasting English and Spanish attitudes to time – thoughts that echo his contention that, 'Deep down, all Englishmen are policemen … Deep down, every Spaniard is an anarchist.' 'In London, you simply have to have a watch,' he wrote in April 1911. 'These English genuinely believe that time is an important thing, and that there's a big difference between 4pm and 5pm … In Spain, when you want to meet a friend at 11, you agree to meet at 10 or half past 10, and then you don't turn up … [But] if an English person summons you to meet at 12 minutes past three and you turn up at quarter past three, it's as if you'd turned up the following day.' Then there was the weather: 'England is a waterproof place. The rain bounces off the English the way it bounces off English buildings.' And then, of course, there was the miraculous effect of alcohol on the national character. 'The English people appeared to become a little more human as long as they were drinking,' he noted not long after his arrival. 'They spoke with great animation and their movements appeared almost spontaneous. Some of them even roared with laughter, like people do.' Camba was just as scathing about the English capacity for romance. 'This is what English people do with their sweethearts: they buy them chocolates,' he grimaced. 'For an English lover, an evening of love is an evening in which many chocolates have been eaten.' The journalist was also aghast at the insistence on adhering to medieval displays of chivalric manners, such as removing one's glove when shaking hands. 'You arrive in London and lodge in a cheap boarding house, and yet you have to greet a haberdasher's assistant using the same protocol that the first Duke of Norfolk employs with his relatives,' Camba complained. 'Raise your visor and proffer a naked hand. No. This all needs to stop once and for all.' Although there are occasional references to the events of the period, including the siege of Sidney Street, the campaigns of the suffragette movement and the coronation of George V, most of the 69 short articles in Viviendo a la inglesa are barbed reflections on the English and their peculiar way of life. As Camba's most recent biographer, Francisco Fuster, points out, the reporter was not exactly someone you would turn to for an objective, factual account of an historical event. 'He doesn't really talk about Churchill or elections or politicians – although he does sometimes touch on social affairs,' says Fuster, a cultural historian at the University of Valencia. 'He'd been sent by his newspaper to explain how people lived in London. The title of the book gives you a clue: it's not a story of objective facts, which is what you'd get from a normal correspondent.' To Fuster's mind, Camba's writings are more akin to those of a sociologist or a writer like Stefan Zweig. 'Camba, in his way, was a chronicler of the 20th century,' says the historian. 'Reading his work is like reading a history book, but a completely different kind of history book because you don't get the names of kings or the dates of battles. You get a history of Europe from another point of view – from the point of view of daily life on the street.' The writer Ricardo Álamo, who edited the collection, says part of the appeal of Camba – who had a huge and devoted readership during his lifetime – is that his work remains as arresting as when it first appeared. 'To read Camba is to read something modern, something that doesn't go out of date,' he says. 'His style is fresh and subtle – not pompous or rhetorical – and his ideas are original and full of irony, and are sometimes hilariously sarcastic.' Although Camba's work has enjoyed a renaissance over the past 10 years or so, it was neglected for decades, largely because of the articles he wrote in support of the Franco regime. But Álamo and Fuster both argue that Camba's opposition to the Republican government that Franco overthrew was personal rather than ideological. 'Following the arrival of the Second Republic, at the beginning of the 1930s, Camba felt ignored and ostracised by the Republican politicians, from whom he had hoped to receive an ambassadorial post,' says Álamo. When the Republican government declined to give him a diplomatic job – which would have allowed him to stop relying on journalism for his income – Camba turned on them. 'He reacted by beginning to write articles against the republic,' says Fuster. 'But although he did write some articles in favour of Franco, it wasn't a deeply held conviction, because he went to live in Portugal during the early years of Francoism. He never wanted a dictatorship and was never part of any political party.' After his exile, Camba returned to Spain in 1949 and lived the last 12 years of his life in a modest room at the Palace hotel in Madrid, where he wrote very little and seemed unconcerned by the notion of securing his legacy. But for all the inertia of Camba's final years, and the long decades of neglect, Fuster believes he was 'the best Spanish correspondent of the 20th century'. During the first third of the 20th century, the correspondent travelled to Turkey, Paris, England, Germany, Italy, the US and Portugal, filing dispatches that 'helped create the image that people in Spain had of Europe and the US'. It was, as Fuster points out, a very different era. And Camba was a very different breed of journalist. 'We're talking about a time when there was no television or internet; that image was created by newspapers,' he says. 'And, what's more, Camba was a very special kind of correspondent: he doesn't really report on objective facts. He's just wandering around London going to a bar or a club and talking to people on the streets.'
