A pioneering program at Miami Dade College provides a dual solution to the U.S. teacher shortage while offering economic opportunities to immigrants with international degrees, Axios reported.

In response to a growing teacher shortage, Miami Dade College has launched a groundbreaking initiative aimed at helping immigrants with international degrees become licensed U.S. teachers. The program addresses a critical need in education and provides immigrants with valuable “economic mobility,” according to Elizabeth Zamudio, vice president of education at UnidosUS, a Latino civil-rights organization.

This initiative comes at a crucial time as the teaching profession grapples with persistent shortages nationwide. The program is particularly beneficial in diversifying the teaching workforce, as nearly 30% of public K-12 students in the U.S. are Latino, yet the majority of teachers are white.

The program at Miami Dade College focuses on immigrants who already hold a bachelor’s degree from another country and have legal work authorization in the U.S. It offers English language courses, assists with the translation and evaluation of foreign university transcripts, and helps candidates navigate the certification process with the Florida Department of Education.

Carmen Concepción, dean of the School of Education at Miami Dade College, noted that even those whose degrees are not in education can participate. For example, an immigrant with an accounting background could become a math teacher. The program is designed to be efficient, allowing participants to complete the process within 10 months, according to Concepción.

While the program in Miami has shown promising results, Elizabeth Zamudio notes that there is no coordinated effort across the country to replicate this model.

“In states where we have large populations of multilingual learners, it’s essential that we have a diverse teacher workforce,” Zamudio said, emphasizing that broader adoption of similar programs could significantly impact teacher diversity nationwide.

However, Zamudio also acknowledges a significant challenge in gaining the trust of immigrant communities. In the past, some quick certification programs turned out to be scams, leaving many wary of new initiatives. To counter this, she stresses the importance of ensuring that such certifications come from “trusted resources like accredited community colleges.”

Efforts to combat the teacher shortage are taking different forms across the U.S. In Texas, for example, some school districts have begun temporarily hiring uncertified teachers, though experts warn this could lead to higher turnover rates. Meanwhile, in Denver, a coalition of educators is pushing for more “grow-your-own” programs that focus on recruiting teachers from local communities.

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