Baltimore teachers union raises concerns about international educator onboarding and speech-language pathologist shortages
Summary
Baltimore Teachers Union urged the district to improve onboarding for international educators arriving on J‑1 visas and called for steps to address a districtwide shortage of speech-language pathologists that is delaying legally required services for students.
During public-recognized comment June 10, the Baltimore Teachers Union (BTU) told the board the district’s process for bringing international teachers to Baltimore — typically on J‑1 or other visa pathways — is inconsistent and places new educators at risk of delayed pay, missing benefits and licensure hurdles without sufficient supports.
BTU representatives asked the district to adopt the Code of Ethical International Recruitment and Employment of Teachers, provide structured pre-arrival orientation (virtual or in-person), designate a single point of contact for each international educator, clarify salary calculations and benefit enrollment, and reduce last-minute placements and split-school assignments that leave international staff without necessary support in their first weeks.
The BTU also said Baltimore City is facing a statewide shortage of speech-language pathologists (SLPs), creating delays in time-sensitive services, assessments and Individualized Education Program (IEP) timelines. The union asked the district to pursue strategies including competitive pay, hiring speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs) or part-time positions, and partnerships with local universities to expand master’s-program pathways. BTU said delays in SLP services are causing students to miss legally required supports.
Why it matters: International educators and related-service providers are integral to staffing, especially in special education settings; failures in onboarding or chronic shortages of SLPs can cause service delays that the district is legally required to provide under special-education law.
District response and next steps: District staff acknowledged the concerns and invited further collaboration. Staff said they would consider improved onboarding structures and contingency plans for late-arriving international staff and promised to escalate SLP recruitment and retention strategies as part of human capital planning.
