SD UNIFIED TO USE INTERNATIONAL FIRM TO FILL HARD-TO-STAFF TEACHING POSITIONS, AMONG OTHERS

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                            Media Contact:

                                                                                                Mike Murad, 619-925-4790, mmurad@sandi.net

James Canning, 313-580-2845, jcanning@sandi.net

                                                                                              

SD UNIFIED TO USE INTERNATIONAL FIRM TO FILL HARD-TO-STAFF TEACHING POSITIONS, AMONG OTHERS

First-Time Partnership with International Alliance Group Could Fill Hundreds of Open Spots

 

SAN DIEGO (JUNE 11, 2025) – The San Diego Unified School District Board of Education on Tuesday approved an agreement with International Alliance Group (IAG). The District is utilizing this new resource to attract highly qualified educators as it looks to fill remaining open positions for the upcoming 2025-26 school year. As of now, the District has more than 300 educator openings across varying fields.  

 

IAG will provide outreach recruitment to help the District fill typically hard-to-staff openings, including Special Education. 

 

According to the Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics, 72% of public schools with special education teacher vacancies reported difficulty filling those positions for the 2024-25 school year.

“Nationwide, we are dealing with the reality that there are not enough certified special education teachers to meet the needs of our students,” said Dr. Fabi Bagula, San Diego Unified Superintendent (Interim). “This staffing partnership will open up additional avenues as we look to add more highly qualified teachers to our District both now and in the future.”

In addition to global outreach with IAG, the District continues its efforts locally and regionally to attract and hire highly-qualified educators. San Diego Unified is in the last phases of the District’s internal transfer/hiring process known as “post and bid,” and the District continues its partnership with local universities to identify recent graduates. Meanwhile, the District has issued more than 60 early contracts to individuals to fill its hard-to-staff positions, including more than 50 early offers to special educators.    

 

San Diego Unified also provides a variety of other opportunities to build up its educator pipeline, including:

  

• Teacher Academy
• Paraeducator/Classified Employee Pathway
• Early Childhood Education Teachers
• Teacher Preparation Programs
• Visiting Teacher Pathway
• Teacher Intern Program

 

The IAG staffing partnership is the latest resource being incorporated into the District’s educator hiring practices. 

Teachers will be brought in for up to three years on a temporary visa to supplement open positions in hard-to-fill areas including Mild/Moderate Support Needs, Extensive Support Needs and Bilingual, Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development (BCLAD). Teachers being considered must meet state and federal law for employment in California and will be properly credentialed in the state of California. 

 

Prospective recruits are current educators in their countries of origin and undergo an extensive screening process in order to be considered by IAG. San Diego Unified will conduct interviews with the applicants and make the final decisions on which international teachers are hired throughout the K-12 grade level. 

 

International teachers coming to the U.S. through the IAG are from various countries, with a strong presence from Latin America. Specifically, IAG works extensively with teachers from Guatemala, Mexico, and Nicaragua. They also facilitate placements for teachers from Great Britain, Venezuela, and other countries. 

“Regardless of the grade or subject being taught, we know from our own teachers and students that unique backgrounds and life experiences provide enrichment opportunities for everyone involved,” said Dr. Bagula. “We’re excited to welcome these passionate and dedicated educators as we continue our efforts to ensure every classroom is led by the most qualified teachers, this coming school year and into the future.” 

For their part, the teachers will get the opportunity to work in San Diego Unified schools learning valuable professional skills, while students will gain a better understanding of the world outside the U.S. as they interact with teachers from another part of the world.

 

To learn more about San Diego Unified School District, visit SanDiegoUnified.org. 

 

###

 

 

James Canning (He/Him)

Executive Director, Strategic Communications & Information

San Diego Unified School District

jcanning@sandi.net | www.sandiegounified.org

Mobile Phone: 313-580-2845

4100 Normal Street, San Diego, CA 92103

 

 

Note: I may send and respond to emails outside of my normal workday or workweek. Please do not feel obligated to reply outside of your normal work schedule. Thank you.