The information gathered by the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA) indicates that, while Kentucky has a relatively low immigrant population, the number has grown more rapidly in recent years. In the 2007-2008 school year, nearly 13,000 students were categorized as ELLs, marking a 233 percent increase from the previous decade. Most of these students speak Spanish, followed by French, Pennsylvania Dutch, German, and Dutch.
Career Outlook for Kentucky TESOL
Kentucky is a linguistically and ethnically diverse state in need of qualified teachers to work in its public school system. According to the Kentucky Education Association, rural parts of Eastern Kentucky have shortages in many grade levels and subject areas. Statistics gathered by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education in 2011 expanded this description to include many schools throughout the state. They state that, since 2002, the state has reported critical teacher shortages in English, Language Arts, and English as a Second Language at every grade level and for every academic year. In general, public school educators may find relatively good prospects for starting or continuing a TESOL career in Kentucky.
Kentucky’s Education Job Boards
- KDE’s official educator recruitment Web page is Kentucky Educator Placement Service KEPS. Applicants can search current K-12 public school openings in Kentucky, create a job profile, subscribe to email notifications for new openings in your areas of specialty, and review other educational resources.
- Teach Kentucky recruits qualified students to be educators in the state’s highest-need school districts of Jefferson County Public, Shelby County Public, Henry County Public, and Spencer County Public Schools.
- Kentucky Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (KYTESOL) has a Jobs section that lists TESOL openings and opportunities outside the public school system, such as test scoring, fellowships, and professional development sessions.
- The University of Kentucky maintains a USA K-12 Opportunities page, which allows job seekers to search on state-by-state basis for educator openings.
TESOL Educator Resources in Kentucky
- KYTESOL is the state branch of the international TESOL educator group, representing the interests of ELLs and their teachers.
- KDE maintains a Web page, English Learners (EL) and English as a Second Language Program, reviewing its services to immigrant and LEP students.
- The Minority Educator Recruitment and Retention Scholarship Fund targets minority students to work in Kentucky public schools.