After contentious debate, board approves international teacher J‑1 exchange program 4‑3

The Stockton Unified School District board approved a memorandum and services agreement on Feb. 11 to recruit international teachers under J‑1 (exchange) visas, a measure trustees said is intended to fill teacher vacancies and support programs such as dual‑language immersion.

District HR and program leaders described the recruitment and support plan, which includes a one‑week new teacher orientation, additional onboarding days for exchange teachers, new‑teacher supports and a point‑of‑contact in HR. Staff said they will form interview panels including union and school representatives and will screen candidates on Zoom for English fluency.

“We feel that bringing credentialed teachers, even if they're from out of the country, will be beneficial for students and will help fill vacancies,” an HR representative said, adding that prior programs had produced a small cohort still employed locally.

Trustees pressed staff on retention, English‑language fluency and where international hires would be placed. Trustee Isabel Perez asked how the district would address language or accent issues that can impair instruction and said students had reported learning challenges in cases of heavy accents. Staff said the district will screen for fluency and include STA representatives on interview panels; they also said J‑1 teachers typically serve up to five years and may pursue other visa categories later.

The proposal drew divided votes. The motion passed 4‑3, with Trustees Isabel Perez, Frank Silva and Shawna Priess voting no. Supporters said the program would help reduce substitute use and fill critical vacancies, especially in dual‑immersion programs that are hard to staff.

Trustees asked staff to continue building local pipelines with colleges and HBCUs to grow homegrown teacher pipelines and to pair international hires with robust mentoring and evaluation under the STA contract.