New York, which has hired 125 math and science teachers from Austria over the last three years, is expanding its reach to help fill as many as 12,000 vacancies in the fall.
Los Angeles now recruits in the Philippines, in addition to Canada, Mexico and Spain.
Chicago culled 46 teachers from 25 countries in the last year.
And Philadelphia dipped its feet into the worldwide teaching pool this year with several hires from Spain to teach high school Spanish. District officials will look there this year for more.
Across the region and country, school districts are grappling with teacher shortages in areas such as math, science, special education and foreign languages. People with expertise in those areas can often find higher-paying jobs in the private sector, while the need for special education teachers is growing, experts say.
Shortages are acute in urban districts, where the pay is often lower and the work tougher.
Philadelphia, for example, was short about 20 secondary Spanish teachers last fall about 20 in math and another 20 in science.
"If I major in math or science, in this economy, I can make a lot more money in a lot easier job than teaching in an urban school district, I'm sorry to say," said Marj Adler, who heads human resources for the Philadelphia School District.
Foreign educators, who can make more money and enhance their resumes by teaching in the United States, come on visas for two to six years. In Philadelphia, Chester Upland and elsewhere, the teachers are brought over through - and employed by - a private company. For that reason, they are not members of the teachers' unions.
Districts with experience in the effort say most foreign teachers stay their allotted time and that students and staffs are pleased.
