Topeka recruited dozens of Filipino teachers for local classrooms; at year’s end, the district hopes they’ll stay

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TOPEKA — Although international educators are not new to the state’s capital city, Topeka welcomed about 50 teachers from the Philippines this past school year to address shortages within the local district.

“Diversity, inclusivity, being welcome and open to all people is a badge of honor that we carry in Topeka public schools,” said Dr. Pilar Mejía, director of cultural innovation for the Topeka (Kansas) School District.

After having difficulty finding enough qualified teachers — primarily within special education, mathematics, and sciences — district leaders knew they had to approach the issue differently, noted Jessica Williams, general director of human resources.

“A few years ago, we had had a few international teachers from the Philippines come into the district,” she continued, “and their level of education, their rigor, the amount of educational quality that they were bringing to the classroom was phenomenal. We found that they were leading our departments, leading our classrooms. So we thought, ‘There’s something here.’”

“There’s something about being able to bring in that diversity to Topeka public schools that’s really beneficial,” she added.

The Topeka district boasted teachers from other countries this year as well, including about 10 from Spain with the Visiting International Teacher Program and a few from Kenya, India, Ukraine, and Jamaica, Mejía and Williams said.

But the group from the Philippines was the largest.

“I will tell you that the classroom management and the educational level is really top notch coming from our international teachers,” Williams noted. “We don’t have a lot of concerns when we go into those classrooms because they are coming with master’s degrees. They’re coming with previous experience. These aren’t new educators that we’re saying come and teach. They are experienced veteran teachers with master’s degrees, so they have just really brought a level of rigor to our classroom that’s been fantastic.”

A group of international teachers brought to Topeka schools to aid with educator shortages; courtesy photo

All of the international teachers are provided with educational and community mentorship, cultural integration, and practical assistance with transportation, insurance, banking, driver’s licenses, and household items, they continued.

“We first kind of make sure that they are ready to go, “ Williams explained. “Then we are providing them with mentors and going in and making sure that within their buildings they also have that connection — not only to the school — but to the Filipino community, the international community.”

“The Filipino community, in itself, becomes the community mentors for the new Filipinos,” Mejía continued, “because by nature, they are a very, very, very close-knit community and people. As they say, ‘They always have an excuse to celebrate, so they do.’”

The district has a robust group of teachers who welcome their new international coworkers with open arms, helping them to adjust to the classroom, as well as inviting them to family dinners, Williams shared.

“It’s really a beautiful thing to see that the teachers who have been here previously just embrace them as they come,” she added.

A group of internationally sourced teachers in Topeka; courtesy photo

Mejía is a community mentor to one of the international teachers; she said it’s critical for them to have a go-to person to be there for them from supporting their spouse as they apply for their work visa to answering questions about buying a house and finding a veterinarian. 

“That’s what the role of the community mentor is,” Mejía explained, “and it’s incredibly rewarding for my family to be mentoring them and for them to be a good match. Because then you become friends and you build those relationships that are really important, so they do feel at home and stay. That’s part of the retention plan, the relationships.”

“They’re navigating it blind,” Williams added. “In our district, one of the biggest things in the culture of our district is relationships, so just being there to listen, to understand what the needs are, and helping them navigate and learn.”

The Topeka district is also there to support the teachers when they want to file for a visa extension, apply for citizenship, or even move back home, they noted.

“We want them to stay, too,” Williams said. “So we really help with that process and make sure they’re connected with the right people to make that happen.”

“I started in this district in 2004, and in 2005 is when I became aware of the first batch of Filipino teachers,” Mejía continued. “Many of them are still here now as citizens, so we have continued working with that community. People stay and people go, but more people stay than go.”