Demand for ESL teachers growing

Laid off teachers are finding a new job in their own districts. A good idea for any laid off teacher anywhere. DP

Simone Sebastian, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

columbusdispatch.com: Math teacher Jane Jones calls her pink slip from the Columbus Public Schools a blessing in disguise.

Facing unemployment because of district budget cuts last year, Jones started training to teach immigrant students, a move that could ensure she stays employed from now on.

"There was a rumor that there was a need" for teachers who can work with students who don’t speak English well, Jones said. "It will make me more desirable and able to keep a job."

There was a time when the scarcity of math teachers would have made Jones’ job secure. Now, the demand for educators with skills to teach students with limited English is on the rise statewide.

While Columbus has cut positions in math and science because of a decline in overall student enrollment, the schools’ demand for teachers of English as a Second Language has grown about 10 percent per year, said Craig Bickley, the district’s executive director of human resources.

Ohio’s population of ESL students has skyrocketed in recent years.

Ten years ago, Columbus had fewer than 900. Now, it has more than 3,618.
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