Educator Exchange - Profiles of Active Exchange Programs

BINATIONAL PROGRAM
CALIFORNIA/MEXICO VISITING TEACHER*

Ventura County
Superintendent of Schools Office
5189 Verdugo Way
Camarillo, CA 93012 USA

Contact:
Gildardo Villaseñor
Phone: 805/383-1924; 800/451-9697
FAX: 805/383-6973 Email: gvillasenor@vcss.k12.ca.us

Background Information:

Host sites:
Michoacán, México**
Fresno, CA USA
Lynwood County, CA USA
Los Angeles, CA USA
Oakland, CA USA
Salinas, CA US
San Francisco, CA USA
West Contra Costa, CA USA

Year program began: August 1995

Type of exchange: One-way

Participants: Teachers Program size: Up to 100; Summer program 30-50

Grade levels represented: K-12

Subject areas represented: English, Spanish, math, science

Duration: Up to three years

Financial support: Personal financing for long-term stay; district facilitates paperwork; family hosts participant for summer

Criteria for participation: For long-term stay, teachers must qualify for California credential; take modified California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) examination; professional level of proficiency in English; two years of teaching experience; strong desire to work with Spanish-speaking students in the U.S.; cross-cultural experience; summer requirements not as extensive as long-term stay requirements

Recruitment procedures: Services to California school districts include: contact with Mexican educational authorities; advertisement of California vacancies in Mexico; planning and organization of recruitment trips; liaison with the Commission of Teacher Credentialing, U.S. Department of Labor, and the Department of Immigration and Naturalization Services.

Program Goals

To recruit teachers from Mexico to assist and teach in school districts with a migrant population

Exchange Activities

Teachers assigned to team situations during the summer
Full-time teachers work in the elementary grades, or upon request in other content areas
Attend all meetings required by district
Participate in all staff development provided by district
Assist teachers with parent involvement sessions
Serve as resources for U.S. teachers

Other Information

For many years, the Binational Program in the California Migrant Division has worked closely with Mexico. It facilitates the transfer of school records, provides access to educational materials and staff development, and recruits Mexican teachers. Similar programs can also be found in other U.S. migrant states such as Colorado, Michigan, and Oregon. Presently, the Mexican Consulates are expanding programs of this type in other states using the same model as was initiated through the Binational Program. For more information on this type of program, contact the state migrant departments or the Mexican Institutes and Cultural Centers listed below.

* For more information on this program see Part II of Children of La Frontera (1996). Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools, Appalachia Educational Laboratory, Charleston, WV.

** Information on cities involved not available.

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