Recruiting native Spanish-speaking teachers for English-language learners internationally is a successful strategy for the Waukegan Community Unity School District 60.
Increased federal immigration enforcement does not concern Angel Figueroa, the district’s associate superintendent of human resources. The recruits meet the needs of a surging segment of students enrolled in Waukegan schools — English learners.
Figueroa said he plans to recruit teachers from Spain and possibly Mexico to instruct students, particularly youngsters still learning to speak, read and write English, in order to perform adequately at grade level in their classes. They come with a special visa for the precise purpose of teaching.
“We had no problem with the prior administration or when (President Donald) Trump was in office five, six, seven or eight years ago,” Figueroa said. “They come with a visiting instructional visa. It’s very specific. When they’re done, they have 30 days to leave the country.”
The District 60 Board of Education was briefed by Figueroa on his department’s foreign recruiting plans for the 2026-2027 school year during a meeting of the Operational Services Committee on Tuesday at the Education Service Center in Waukegan.
Asked by board members how many teachers he planned to hire from outside the United States, Figueroa said approximately 20, but the number could change based on retirements and other changes in the next few months.
In the past, the most acute need for teachers was for instruction of math, science, special education and English learners. Figueroa said this year, the only need was for those working with students who had to develop their English skills.
“The good news is that special education, math and science were booked. Our biggest area of need at the present time is bilingual education as the program continues to grow,” Figueroa said. “And, we depend on Spain,” he added, noting Mexico and Puerto Rico are other possibilities.
Elizabeth Ambroiggio, the director of the bilingual cultural department, said that while overall enrollment is declining in the district, the number of English learners is increasing. It is now 55% of all students.
Ambroiggio said when new students arrive in the district, living in homes where a language other than English is spoken, they are required to take a test. If necessary, they are placed in bilingual classes until they pass a proficiency test, enabling them to be placed in a mainstream classroom.
Though Figueroa told the board the bilingual teachers were the greatest need, he was not specific with numbers. Board members Anita Hanna and Christine Lensing quizzed Figueroa on why his department could not find enough teachers locally.
Though Figueroa said efforts were made in the past to recruit locally — the department will continue the practice — going to job fairs in the Chicago area and other states continually fail to bring new teachers. Traveling overseas provides a better “return on investment.”
Lensing said she understands fewer young people are pursuing careers in education. It is something beyond the district’s control. She wants to find ways within the administration’s purview to find people locally who want to come to Waukegan.
“What we can control is a good grow-your-own program,” Lensing said. “We have a connection with (the College of Lake County). How many of those are for early childhood development? We need to start looking at what we can control to address the concern we have about hiring locally.”
A “grow-our-own” program is already established within the bilingual and cultural department. Ambroiggio said the district is doing after-school professional development with long-term substitute teachers and paraprofessionals.
“A lot of our paras are not able to pass the basic skills test in English, so we’re giving them English tutoring after school,” she said. ‘We have a lot of teachers and paras enrolled in that now. It’s a real great program.”
Hearing about the bilingual department’s program to develop more teachers internally, Lensing said the effort is an excellent way to develop teachers who are familiar with the district and its culture.
“This is exciting,” Lensing said. “We are doing things in Waukegan. We need to be shouting that from the rooftops. Even if someone isn’t coming in as a teacher, they could come in as a para,” she added, indicating they would become familiar with the district.
LeBaron Moten, the district’s deputy superintendent for operational supports and programs, said there are other programs like the Golden Apple Scholar Partnership, which can help bring local youths back to Waukegan after college to teach in its schools.
Moten said international recruiting is one part of the “recruiting umbrella.” There are others, like Golden Apple, that he promised to explain to the board in detail at a future meeting. Going overseas to find teachers requires board approval because of the expense.
“Golden Apple is intended to support those students while they are going to college,” Moten said. “They start out in Waukegan or the Lake County area, and we attract them back to Waukegan. It may take two or three years for that to materialize based on our applicants.”
