The Visiting Teacher from Spain Program

 

The Visiting Teacher from Spain Program, is an exiting venture between the Iowa Department of Education and the Ministry of Education and Culture of Spain. 

Interaction with the global market is an aspect of Iowa’s growing economy that demands attention. From agriculture to industry, Iowa faces the challenge of gaining the knowledge and skills to communicate with and better understand the communities of the world. Foreign language education helps the state meet this challenge by teaching students how to interact and communicate in the target language, and understand and respect other cultures.

Unfortunately, a shortage of foreign language teachers across the nation makes it more difficult to provide Iowa students with qualified teachers. The Ministry of Education and Culture of Spain offers several programs that could help alleviate the shortage of Spanish teachers in Iowa.

The Visiting Teacher from Spain Program provides local school districts with the opportunity to fill vacant Spanish teaching positions. With this program, Iowa school systems have the option of recruiting highly qualified Spanish educators for a period of up to three years and at the same time provide Iowa students, parents, and communities the opportunity to work with professionals from other countries. Visiting teachers from Spain are certified Spanish language educators with at least two years of experience. Local school districts hire the visiting teachers in accordance with all other local policies in terms of salary scale, licensure, and local system requirements.

This program strives to:

¨       Promote cultural and educational relations that will benefit the State of Iowa and Spain.

¨       Foster knowledge and appreciation of the culture shared by these two global communities.

¨       Foster an educational environment that supports both students and teachers in their continued and future effort toward personal, academic, and professional success.

¨       Utilize technology to promote teaching and learning of world languages.

 

If you are interested in this program, please contact:

Carmen Sosa, John O’Connell or Geri McMahon.

 

Dr. Carmen Sosa

Consultant, ESL/Bilingual

Bureau of Instructional Services

Iowa Department of Education

Grimes State Office Building

Des Moines, Iowa  50319-0146

carmen.sosa@iowa.gov

Phone: 515-281-3805

John O’Connell

Consultant, Instructional Technology

Bureau of Instructional Services

Iowa Department of Education

Grimes State Office Building

Des Moines, Iowa  50319-0146

john.oconnell@iowa.gov

Phone: 515-242-6354

Geri McMahon

Consultant

Board of Educational Examiners

Grimes State Office Building

Des Moines, Iowa  50319-0146

geri.mcmahon@iowa.gov

Phone: 515-281-8323