This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Utah schools have a shortage of teachers and an abundance of children from homes where Spanish is the primary language.

That's why an agreement with the Mexican Ministry of Education that brings Mexican teachers north to spend several years teaching in Utah schools is a smart move. The visiting teacher program helps the state meet both challenges while advancing understanding here and in Mexico of the other country's culture.

The 10 teachers chosen for the visiting educator program won't, by any means, solve the growing problem of too few teachers. Still, every qualified teacher helps, and, more to the point, these Mexican educators can provide a bridge over the communication barrier that adds to the frustration of so many immigrant students and their parents.

The bilingual teachers can greatly help Spanish-speaking students learn to read and write in English and interpret instructions in their math, science and history courses. Another important contribution is in communicating with Spanish-speaking parents and helping them participate to a larger extent with their children's teachers.

The Mexicans are experienced educators who have passed tough interviews to make it out of a 50-teacher pool. They will work in Davis, Tooele, Salt Lake and Granite districts. It would make sense to expand the program to other districts to meet a growing need.

Utah's Latino enrollment has jumped 120 percent in the past decade, while public school enrollment overall has increased 9.7 percent, or about 15,000 new students each year. That growth is expected to continue for another 10 years. The Legislature this year failed to provide additional funds requested by the Utah State Board of Education to teach students who don't speak English well.

At the same time, Utah has an annual double-digit turnover rate for teachers; nearly a third leave the classroom in the first five years, and fewer college students are choosing teaching as a profession.

Bilingual teachers, especially, are scarce. Many more will be needed as Utah's immigrant population continues to grow. Until colleges and universities can begin plugging the gap, the Mexican visiting teacher program can help meet that need.