Immersion teachers are like gold (so be nice to yours)

Utah language immersion teachers in short supply
WEDNESDAY , JANUARY 28, 2015 – 1:45 PM
“Elise Taylor and Jake Beus, from the U.S. Institute of languages, pack software into boxes for…

By Dana Rimington

Standard-Examiner correspondent

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It is no easy task getting dual immersion teachers for the Spanish, Chinese, or French programs for the 11 elementary schools in Davis School District, four elementary schools in Weber School District, and two elementary schools in Ogden School District with immersion programs.

It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there says Davis School District Elementary World Language Supervisor Rita Stevenson as immersion programs across the state vie for the few teachers who do graduate from local universities with majors in Spanish, French, or Chinese, or education graduates who are native speakers of those languages.

“It is nice when we can find them, but the biggest problem is that local universities are not producing enough teachers through the education program to fill our needs,” Stevenson said, so they find guest teachers from host countries through the state office of Education.

However, for teachers coming from other countries, it is a long process. Nereida Lõpez, who is from Spain teaching kindergarten dual immersion at Lincoln Elementary, began the process a year before she began working in the U.S. in the fall of 2013. Lõpez had to go through a series of paperwork and interviews with her host country, all using her own funds.

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