Kansas Visiting Teacher from Spain VTS Program

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Kansas Visiting Teacher from Spain (VTS)
Program
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Agenda

• Demographics
• General Information VTS Program
• KSDE responsibilities
• District responsibilities
• Teacher Qualifications and Preparations
• Other Programs sponsored by the Spanish Ministry
  of Education
• Sign me up!
• Resources

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USA and Kansas Demographics

• Fourteen million immigrants entered the USA in
  the 1990s
• An estimated fourteen million more will come
  before 2010
• Immigrants comprise 11 of the total U.S.
  population

• One-third of immigrant children live in poverty
• May 2005 data submitted by Kansas school
  districts claims 27,254 English Language Learners
  (ELLs) across the state

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USA and Kansas Demographics (cont.)

• Kansas immigrant population is growing three
  times faster than the national average
• Approximately 6 of school-age population in
  Kansas are ELLs
• Over 70 languages represented in Kansas schools
• 80 speak Spanish 4 Vietnamese

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Why Kansas?

• Meatpacking plants
• Dairies
• Farms
• Factories
• Construction
• Feedlots
• Refugees

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Visiting Teachers from SpainGeneral Information

• The Ministry of Education and Culture of
  Spain offers several programs that could help
  alleviate the shortage of Spanish-speaking
  teachers for Kansas schools. The Visiting
  Teacher Program provides Kansas school districts
  the option of recruiting qualified visiting
  teachers from Spain to meet the needs of their
  districts.

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Visiting Teachers from SpainGeneral Information

• 2001-2002 - First Year of Program
• Today -
• 18 teachers across the state
• They teach
• Dual Language/Bilingual Elementary
• Newcomers
• HS Science
• ESL
• Spanish as a Foreign Language
• HS Math
• MS Social Studies

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Visiting Teachers from SpainGeneral Information

• Participating Districts include
• Dodge City
• Garden City
• Oberlin
• Logan
• Abilene
• Kinsley
• North Lyons
• Topeka
• Olathe

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Visiting Teachers from SpainThe Process

• An Application of Intent, which does not obligate
  the school district to hire a teacher from Spain,
  must be completed by the school district and
  returned to KSDE by March 1st of each year.
• The Spanish Ministry of Education selects
  possible candidates.
• The Responsible Officer (RO) travels to Madrid to
  conduct extensive interviews with prospective
  recruits.

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Visiting Teachers from SpainThe Process (cont)

• Recruited teachers will make a one to three year
  commitment to teach in Kansas, provided the local
  school district chooses to rehire them each year.
  
• Recruited teachers will function as regular
  members of their respective school faculties and
  will be paid accordingly.  

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Visiting Teachers from SpainObjectives of the
Program

• To provide the opportunity for Kansas students to
  learn Spanish from native speakers.
• To provide the opportunity for newly immigrated
  Kansas students, whose first
  language is Spanish, to succeed academically by
  providing instruction in core curriculum
  subjects, especially science and math, from
  native speakers of Spanish, while students are
  also acquiring English skills.

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Visiting Teachers from SpainObjectives of the
Program (cont)

• To increase international awareness on the part
  of students taught by visiting teachers.
• To increase understanding of the language,
  culture, and history of the Spanish-speaking
  world.
• To develop lifelong professional relationships
  and friendships.

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Visiting Teachers from SpainKSDE
Responsibilities

• To assess the needs of local school districts.
• To interview prospective candidates in Spain.
• To select candidates and place them in districts
  that request a visiting teacher.
• To offer orientation and pre-service training for
  visiting teachers on the Kansas Content
  Standards, Foreign Language Standards, ESOL
  Standards, QPA, classroom management issues, etc.

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Visiting Teachers from SpainSchool District
Responsibilities

• To provide a contact person who is available to
  discuss personnel issues during the interview and
  selection process.
• To provide a building-level administrator who
  acts as a liaison for the teachers.
• To provide a fellow teacher/mentor, preferably in
  the same building, to provide guidance and
  support for the visiting teacher from Spain.

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Visiting Teachers from SpainSchool District
Responsibilities (cont)

• To compensate KSDE for orientation and
  pre-service training (1,000 per teacher).
• To provide additional support to ensure a
  successful and positive experience for both the
  school and the teacher, including assistance in
  setting up housekeeping, obtaining a drivers
  license, buying a car, etc.

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Visiting Teachers from SpainAre they qualified?

• YES!
• There are two types of certification provided
  by the Spanish Ministry of Education
• Four-year teacher preparation program
• The CAP (Certificado de Aptitud Pedagogica) one
  year practicum in teaching the subject area in
  which their degree was granted

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Visiting Teachers from SpainAre they qualified?

• VTS submit their transcripts to a credential
  evaluator
• The translated university transcripts USA
  institute of higher education equivalency sent to
  KSDE
• Teacher Education and Licensure (TEAL) evaluates
  and issues a foreign exchange license in the
  content area for which the VTS is qualified
• The foreign exchange license is valid for three
  years

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Visiting Teachers from SpainAre they qualified?

• Once VTS candidates are selected, there is a
  three-month period before they arrive in Kansas.
  During that time
• Credentials get evaluated
• KSDE starts process of issuing foreign exchange
  license in KS) to VTS
• KSDE gets J-1 visas for VTS
• VTS participates in orientation session in Madrid
  prior to departure

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Visiting Teachers from SpainOnce in Kansas

• Melanie meets all Visiting Teachers from Spain at
  the airport in Wichita and takes them to their
  hotel
• Three-day orientation in Wichita following their
  arrival
• District mentors meet VTS at the orientation and
  take VTS to their respective towns/cities

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Visiting Teachers from SpainOnce in Kansas

• After one month in Kansas, all VTS meet again
  for the weekend Fall Retreat to discuss issues
  and conduct more extensive staff development.
• The Fall Retreat is held at a central location
  in Kansas.

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Visiting Teachers from SpainOnce in Kansas

• Marta Moran, the Regional Education Officer
  for the Spanish Ministry of Culture and
  Education, opens the orientation session by
  addressing differences between Spanish and US
  schools.

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Visiting Teachers from SpainThe teachers!

• Ignacio and Meritxell prepare for a jig-saw"
  cooperative learning activity at the Orientation
  in Wichita.

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Visiting Teachers from SpainThe teachers!

• Governor Sebelius took the opportunity to
  visit at length about the VTS participants'
  impressions of the community and schools they now
  call home.

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Visiting Teachers from SpainThe teachers!
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What teachers are Available for School Year
2006-2007?

• English as a Second Language 15
• Spanish as a World Language 20
• (Many of these teachers could be certified in
  both ESL and Spanish)
• Art 1
• Music 2
• Elementary 3
• Social Studies 2
• Physics/MS Science 1
• Biology/MS Science 1

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Other Available Programs

• Language and Culture Assistants
• Aimed at primary, high school and college
  institutions
• Candidates are usually between 22 and 25, have
  just completed a Bachelor of Arts degree and
  teacher training qualification
• Language and culture assistants salary and
  medical benefits are paid by the Spanish Ministry
  of Education
• Lodging and transportation are supplied by the
  schools
• Function is not to replace the teachers but to
  assist them in their Spanish language and culture
  classes.

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Other Available Programs

• Summer Courses in Spanish Universities
• This program enables American K-12 Teachers of
  Spanish, administrators or people in the teaching
  profession who want to take up Spanish to attend
  Spanish courses on Spanish language and culture
  at various universities in Spain for three weeks
  in July every year.
• The Ministry of Education and Culture of Spain
  and the Spanish universities each subsidize each
  participant with half the cost of the program.
  The remaining costs and travel expenses will be
  paid for by the participant. In some cases, the
  state, school districts or the university might
  sponsor participants with all or a portion of the
  amount to be paid.

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Other Available Programs

• Ruta Quetzal Scholarship
• Only High School Students eligible to apply
• A study and adventure scholarship, valued at
  14,000, through which the selected students along
  with other 300 European and American students
  from 43 countries visit Spain and other American
  countries during the summer.

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Visiting Teachers from SpainSign me up!

• You can download the Letter of Intent at
• http//www.ksde.org/sfp/esol/appintent.pdf
• And send electronically and/or hard copy to
  Melanie at
• mstuart_at_ksde.org or mail it to
• Melanie Stuart KSDE 120 SE 10th Avenue,
  Topeka, KS 66612

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Resources

• KSDE www.ksde.org/sfp/esol/contentpg
• Spanish Ministry of Education links
  http//www.sgci.mec.es/usa/eng/
• http//www.sgci.mec.es/usa/eng/links/asociacione
  s
• http//www.sgci.mec.es/usa/eng/links/estadosunid
  os

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GRACIAS!
Gracias!
Gracias!
Gracias!
Gracias!
Gracias!
Gracias!
Gracias!
Gracias!
Gracias!
Gracias!
Gracias!
Gracias!
Gracias!
Gracias!
Gracias!
Gracias!

• Melanie Stuart
• Kansas State Department of Education
• 785-296-7929
• mstuart_at_ksde.org