Immigration Ban Threatens Teacher Supply

K-12 schools in California, Florida, Texas and New York, among other states, could be particularly hard hit if the Trump administration's plans to reduce the flow of immigration move forward. About 8 percent of K-12 teachers in the U.S. were born abroad, with Mexico and China the leading "donor countries," according to the Brown Center at Brookings. Foreign-born teachers are especially vital to the profession in areas with large immigrant populations. While none of the proposed changes are expected to cause a short-term crisis in the teacher supply, severe restrictions on immigration could lead to "a critical teacher shortage a few years down the road."

Brookings (03/16/17)