Despite hiring 70 foreign teachers, Polk has more than 100 open positions days before new school year

LAKELAND, Fla. - Polk County is thinking outside the box to deal with an ongoing national teacher shortage. It is hiring 70 teachers from overseas to start the new year. They are coming from India, Jamaica, the Philippines and elsewhere.

"What is great about them is that they are certified teachers, they have teaching experience," said Jessica Solano, who recruits teachers for Polk.

Solano says an alternative would be to put substitute teachers in the classroom who may not be certified.

"If I had to choose between having my kids in a certified math teacher’s classroom or with a substitute, of course you would want them with a certified teacher," she commented.

The foreign teachers are helping to close a widening gap. Polk usually has to hire between 500-600 new teachers before the beginning of each new school year.

READ: Florida students who oppose masks could get private school vouchers

This year, it has to hire well over 700 because more teachers than usual retired in the wake of the pandemic and the county is opening up three new schools.

The first day of school is Tuesday and as of Wednesday, the county was still 130 teachers short.

UPDATES: Get news alerts and updates in the free FOX 13 News app