Sacramento Schools Look To Philippines For Teachers Leaving Union Wondering Why

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A statewide teacher shortage has a Sacramento school district looking outside the country to find qualified educators, but the teachers union is calling the district out for not looking hard enough.

Sacramento City Unified School District went to the Philippines to find teachers like Paulo Legaspi. He was one of 11 special education teachers hired last year from the country after the district claimed it couldn't find enough in the country.

District spokesman Alex Barrios says it had no choice since it couldn't fill the vacancies.

"When we couldn't find those special ed teachers in Sacramento or California or the United States, we went abroad to the Philippines," he said.

But Sacramento City Teachers Union spokesman David Fisher says it was all about finances, not supply. The union says the district has money it won't spend, saying qualified teachers are going elsewhere.

"We don't think it's necessary to go across the globe to recruit teachers when we have them right here in town.

Paulo and other recruits will earn around $5,700 a month compared to the $500 to $600 he made overseas in the same position.