Hartford Public Schools (HPS) is pleased to launch the Caribbean Connection, an international outreach effort to recruit teachers from all of the Caribbean islands.
HPS is partnering with the International Alliance Group (IAG) to sponsor J1 Visas for 15 teachers from the Caribbean. The J1 Visa is a nonimmigrant visa that allows the educators to work and live in Hartford for three years, with the option to extend the visa to five years. The District is looking for educators to teach English, Math, Science, Elementary, Music, and Art. All candidates must have appropriate certification, and HPS is working in partnership with the Connecticut State Department of Education to review candidate materials to determine the pathways to certification.
Hartford Public Schools’ Office of Talent Management is working with IAG and recruiting partners to raise awareness about this program in the Caribbean. The District has already held the first of three virtual information sessions for prospective candidates, and more than 150 people attended. Due to the amount of interest, the registration limit for the next two information sessions was increased to 250 participants. So far, the District has received 140 applications for the program.
Teachers who are accepted into the program will be offered the same incentives offered to all new HPS teachers, as well as a comprehensive package to ensure a smooth transition to Connecticut. That includes a $5,000 sign-on incentive, a one-time relocation stipend of $2,000, and up to $4,000 to secure housing in the City of Hartford.
The Caribbean Connection aims to recruit educators that serve and represent our diverse, beautiful, and capable students. 57% of Hartford Public Schools students identify as Hispanic or Latino, while 29% are Black or African American. The City of Hartford is also home to the third largest West Indian community in the nation.
“Being an international teacher makes a difference in students’ lives,” said Paola Rosa Medina, a Spanish teacher from the Dominican Republic who joined Hartford Public High School this fall. “The students appreciate everything that you do. Sharing cultural diversity helps to build a beautiful community.”
The Caribbean Connection is one of several strategies Hartford Public Schools is using to recruit qualified, talented, and passionate professionals. This past hiring season, Hartford Public Schools launched the “Represent HPS” campaign – which encourages people to represent their communities in our classrooms to best serve our students. The District is also investing in current staff to grow their own careers, such as offering paraeducators pathways to become teachers, and encouraging employees to be ambassadors and recruiters. The Caribbean Connection grew from the success of the Paso a Paso program, which recruits teachers from Puerto Rico. In early 2023, HPS will begin hiring the third cohort of Paso a Paso teachers.
Hartford Public Schools is grateful for its partnership with Travelers and the International Alliance Group to support this ongoing work, and the support from organizations like the West Indian Foundation, the Hartford Federation of Teachers, the City of Hartford, and so many others. For more information about Hartford Public Schools’ recruiting efforts, including the Caribbean Connection, please visit www.hartfordschools.org/careers/careers/
