From: Cayata Dixon -------------------- Answer to teacher shortage may be near -------------------- By Oscar Avila Tribune staff reporter September 16, 2001 Neighborhood activists think they have found an answer to a chronic teacher shortage for the Chicago Public Schools system: hundreds of illegal immigrants who taught in their homelands, but ended up mopping floors and washing dishes here. When organizers presented the idea to immigrants last week, the response was overwhelming. More than 350 hopefuls, armed with yellowing transcripts and diplomas in Spanish and Polish, packed a community meeting to hear about a proposal that might allow them to return to their original profession. On Tuesday, the activists will make their case to schools chief Arne Duncan, hoping to persuade him to sponsor some of these immigrants for work visas. Even if Duncan is interested, the plan still needs help in Washington, where legislation is pending that would allow illegal immigrants already in this country to become eligible for specialized work visas. Although several major hurdles remain, local immigrants have seized on the idea as their best -- and perhaps only -- chance to leave the underground workforce and rejoin the professional ranks. Luz Manzano believes her teaching degree and 23 years of experience in Bolivia would make her an ideal hire. But without legal status, she and her husband are forced to bus tables instead. "They need teachers," Manzano said. "Well, here we are." In recent years, school districts have scoured the world in search of teachers. Chicago schools have hired scores of foreign teachers since last year through a program called Global Educators Outreach. But districts face challenges because many candidates from overseas are competing with high-tech firms for coveted H-1B visas, reserved for immigrants who will be employed temporarily in a specialty occupation, such as architecture, engineering and mathematics. Often, the teachers lose out. Just this month, several suburban districts reported that some bilingual teachers recruited in Mexico have not arrived because of visa problems. Substitutes and retirees have been forced to fill in, including some who don't speak Spanish. Many local immigrants who have extensive teaching experience say they should be hired because they already are living in Chicago. Many have children in the city's public schools. "These teachers come over, but who knows if they will stay? We are here, we have roots, we have children. We want to help our community," said Victor Reyes, who migrated 12 years ago from Mexico. For now, district officials say their lawyers are researching the proposal. "We're still studying the idea, the implications and whether it is even feasible. It is too early to say one way or the other," said Sue Gamm, the district's chief specialized services officer. Organizers also need Congress to pass an extension to a measure known as 245(i), which allows relatives and employers to sponsor immigrants for legal status. The provision allows illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S. while awaiting approval of their visas without being forced to return home, which normally would bar them from re-entering for up to 10 years. A modified version now under consideration in Congress, however, would only allow the Department of Labor to consider applications filed by employers before Aug. 15. That would exclude all of the immigrants at last week's meeting. Immigrant advocates want changes that would give employers more time to file. "This 245(i) is a strangely constructed bill. It has to be changed for us to have this chance," Grazyna Zajaczkowska, director of immigrant services for the Polish American Association, told participants last week. Although 245(i) differs from a proposal to legalize millions of undocumented Mexican immigrants, the provision also has generated controversy. Opponents, including several groups that want to limit immigration, say it is a reward for immigrants who have broken the law. They say the provision is especially troubling if offered to immigrant teachers. "What kind of message are we sending to our young children, who are supposed to be taught every day that we are a nation of laws?" said Dave Gorak, executive director of the Midwest Coalition to Reform Immigration, based in Villa Park. The Northwest Neighborhood Federation, which represents Avondale, Irving Park and several other areas, said momentum is building for its plan. Last week's meeting, translated into Spanish and Polish, drew twice as many potential candidates as expected, with the crowd spilling over from one large meeting room into the next. Several attendees lingered for up to an hour after the formal presentation to question the organizers. Most of the participants apparently entered the country legally with student or tourist visas that have expired. Although they have no legal right to work here, they expressed anger and sadness that their talents were being wasted. Eric Briones, an engineer from Mexico, delivers pizza. Aleksandra Sachajko of Poland has two master's degrees but works as a nanny in the suburbs. And although Nalini Shah of India boasts a doctorate, she doesn't work at all. Juana Ramos, a volunteer with the Northwest Neighborhood Federation, said proponents must convince school officials that these teachers are worth the effort. In addition to the paperwork, there is often a delay before immigrants can take a classroom. Applicants for 245(i) must wait for work visas, a process that can drag out for months or even years. For that reason, hardly any public school districts sponsored applicants during the last extension, according to Jose Pertierra, a committee member of the American Immigration Lawyer Association who tracks the 245(i) issue. Organizers have enlisted Northeastern Illinois University to help prospective teachers get their credentials evaluated and prepare for certification exams. The average experience of those attending the meeting was 14.8 years, according to forms they filled out that evening. "We don't want there to be any doubts about the qualifications of these teachers," Ramos said. "I think when [the school system] finds out more, they will realize that these people could be a valuable resource." Copyright (c) 2001, Chicago Tribune -------------------- Improved archives! Searching Chicagotribune.com archives back to 1985 is cheaper and easier than ever. 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