For Schools
Candidate & Pre-ArrivalRequirements of Host Schools
- Understand the intent of the program is for a short term (3-5 years) cultural exchange. The program’s intent is not to resolve staffing shortages.
- Pay the one time initial $500 host school registration fee promptly. Pay any further invoices promptly.
- Communicate regularly and respond promptly.
New to our program? Click this button to access our New School form to partner with us!
Best Practices of Host Schools
- Be patient as they adapt- teachers will be unfamiliar with the US school system and will need your patience as they adjust.
- Be generous with your time and energy- you might be the only person in the country that this teacher has met before! They will need more assistance when they first arrive and start to get settled.
- Share plenty of resources- the more resources the teacher has to lean on the better, these could include local connections, mentor teachers, online trainings, etc.
- Contact with Sagamore- we are here to help and if there is anything we can do to help with the transition, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Sagamore Policies
- J-1 teacher salary needs to be commensurate with a U.S. teacher in the school/district.
- Exchange teachers are part of a cultural exchange program and to be a part of this program they are expected to return to their home countries for at least two years after their stay in the U.S. The school cannot encourage or assist the exchange visitor to stay in the U.S. beyond his/her program end date and cannot assist in any way to help the participant change visa categories.
- State Department regulations require that the teacher must be qualified to teach in the position indicated on their offer letter and on their official paperwork (DS2019). Sagamore has created their DS2019 based on the offer letter given by the school to the teacher, and we have verified that the teacher is qualified for that position. The school cannot place the teacher in a position different than what is indicated on the job offer letter without permission from Sagamore.
- J-1 teachers must remain in a full-time teaching position where they are the teacher of record for a set of students. Teachers cannot be placed in positions like administration, para-pro, teaching assistant, etc.
Click Here for a checklist that will provide things you can do to support your newly arriving teachers.
Offer Letter
Offer letters need to include the following (click herefor a sample offer letter):
• Title/teaching position including duties & responsibilities
• Hours of employment and School Year dates
• Compensation (salary – understood to be about 40 hours of work per week) *Please list the base salary only! Do not include retirement benefits or any other benefits in the base salary.
• Signed and dated by both the school and the teacher.
• Return the fully executed offer letter to Sagamore and the teacher
• A signed, dated and accepted offer letter is required before a DS2019 is issued
It is important that the teaching position offered matches the degree and experience of the international teaching candidate.
State Department regulations require that the teacher must be qualified to teach in the position indicated on their offer letter and on their official paperwork (DS2019). Sagamore has created their DS2019 based on the offer letter given by the school to the teacher and we have verified that the teacher is qualified for that position. The school agrees that when the teacher arrives they will be placed in the position indicated on the job offer letter and DS2019.
Communicate
We encourage schools to be in touch with the teachers prior to arrival so that they understand when teachers are arriving and welcome them at the airport. Schools are required to arrange short term housing for the teacher (a hotel, Airbnb, or hosting by another teacher). This should cover at least the first two weeks as it takes at least a week to secure housing. The teacher will need help navigating processes like applying for the social security number, shopping for furniture, learning about US appliances, and setting up utilities. etc. The more the teacher feels embraced and supported by the school community, the better. Create anticipation which will enhance participation.
Prepare the Staff and Mentor Teacher
Prepare the Staff:
Send an email to all staff explaining the program and calling for volunteers in early May while school is still in session. Seek to create a team of welcoming teachers that will support the teacher.
Prepare the Mentor Teacher:
The Center on Great Teachers and Leaders provides a good overall all selection guide for selecting a good mentor teacher. They highlight five areas where a mentor should have strength to share with the new teacher: critical elements of effective mentoring, attitude and disposition, professional competence and experience, communication skills, and interpersonal skills . Additional information about the role of the mentor teacher is here.
Prepare the Students and Parents
Prepare the Students:
If necessary or applicable, it is possible to prepare students by mentioning the new visiting teacher in higher level foreign language classes, for example, before the summer break. This will help to provide a sense of anticipation and awareness in the school building.
Prepare the Parents:
Headline the teacher’s arrival on your website, in your FB posts, or in newsletters to parents. Feature the new teachers by providing a bio and some background on the program. Share the official welcome letter from the DOS with your parents.
Plan Airport Pickup
- Bring water bottles
- Make a welcome sign
- Take a Picture
- Remember that they may not have cell service and can’t text you when they arrive
- Remember that they are tired!
First Week Schedule Priority
- Sleep – Don’t push them hard the first day after arrival – they are tired!
- Social Security Number – see below for details.
- HR Office/Tours
- Cell phone – Most will need a new SIM card for their phone so they can have domestic US cell service.
- Bank
- Housing
Social Security Number
Within 24 hours of arrival, we will send the teacher and principal the instructions for getting the social security number. The social security process should have the highest priority for the first week but do not go to the SSN office until you have received the I-94 in the “Welcome to the US” email from us. Use this site to find the a list of offices close to your school. It is now required to have an appointment to obtain a Social Security Number. Please contact us if you have difficulty obtaining a social security number interview.
Please see this website for more information about SSN and foreign workers. According to this site, the employee may work while their Social Security number application is being processed. Please see this website for more information on completing the I-9 for a J-1 Teacher who hasn’t received their SSN yet.
Required documents: Always make sure (double check) that the teacher has the following items with them. If they do not have it with them, you will have to make another trip, which is frustrating and time consuming. They are tired and jet lagged so they may say they have them, but they may have left them in the suitcase by accident. Experience says: make SURE you have the documents with you before you undertake a long drive to an SSN office.
List of Documents Needed:
- Application (attached to the email that is sent upon arrival; also linked here)
- I-94 (attached to the email and also available here (click on “Get Most Recent I-94)
- Passport with Visa (it is already printed in the passport)
- Job Offer Letter (not needed at all offices)
Tours
Neighborhood: Each city has unique, dynamic neighborhoods. Have a volunteer drive the visiting teacher around the area, pointing out landmarks. Make a point of focusing on where students live and what services are available to them (local libraries, community centers, YMCAs). Show visiting teachers where the bus stops are and share with them how to install an app that will show bus times (Google Maps will show bus times)
School: Have a volunteer walk with the visiting teacher throughout the school building noting emergency exits, teacher workrooms, teacher lunchrooms, teacher bathrooms, and any copiers and copy codes that may be needed.
School System Office: Introduce the teacher to the HR Personnel and maybe arrange a quick office door introduction to the Superintendent; Give them some items that reflect your school district (pen, portfolio, tote bag, etc). Take a picture with the Superintendent and give a copy to the teacher; Make it seem like a “formal welcome” event.
Housing
We recommend each host school come up with a 2 week housing plan for the teacher upon their arrival (cannot be shared bedrooms). This could be arranging a hotel stay or finding a community member that will house them temporarily. It is nearly impossible to arrange housing before arriving in the country so the teacher will need a place to stay for the first couple of weeks until they can find an apartment or house to rent.
Some top tips for a successful housing search:
- Location: Look for places that are close to the school, to public transportation, walking or biking distance. It should be in a safe neighborhood and in good repair.
- Research: Housing can go fast, so we encourage you to start researching housing for an exchange teacher as early as possible.
- Ask Others: We encourage you to spread the word about the housing need to staff and families in the school. Spread the word to local real estate agents who may know of a house becoming available for rent.
- Encourage Roommates: If you have more than one visiting teacher, it will not hurt to encourage them to share an apartment, at least for the first 6 months of so as long as each teacher has their own bedroom.
- Consider AirBNB: Sometimes someone who is listing an AirBNB may be open to a long-term rental.
- Consider Homestay Families: If there are families in the school that have an empty apartment or basement area, consider this as an option for the teacher.
- Teachers will not have rental history in the US and will need assistance to obtain their first rental.
- We have created this Reference Letter that can be provided to landlords that explains the teachers’ position in the exchange program and their creditability since they do not have a credit history in the United States.
Teaching License
Each teacher must be able to satisfy the teaching eligibility standards of the U.S. state they will teach in. It is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure that their state teaching license is valid and to promptly take care of renewing an expired license.
Click here a guide to Indiana State Teaching licenses for the J-1 Program. It is important that the teaching position offered matches the degree and experience of the teacher.