HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — Hiring is hard if you don't know where to look. Instead of competing with every other school district in Georgia, Henry County Schools found a solution thousands of miles away.
It works with three different agencies to recruit educators in other countries — primarily India, China and Jamaica.
"It's been a blessing," Eagle's Landing High School Principal Kesha Jones said. "I don't know that I would have been able to field some of my science and math positions if I did not have that as an option."
Roughly one in 10 teachers at her school are from other countries. That includes Neeraja Koppala, who moved from India two years ago.
"They gave me a chance... I've dreamed about it since my childhood," Koppala told 11Alive. "Everyone in the world looks at the USA because they want to work here."
Koppala is one of 72 Henry County teachers recruited through international agencies. She teaches pre-calculous and advanced math decision-making at Eagle's Landing High School.
"All my peers are supporting me a lot," she said. "They make me feel like I'm at home."
Amy Spicer, the district's executive director of employment, said they've used international agencies for years. The need became much greater after the pandemic.
"We utilize international teachers primarily in our math, science and special education vacancies," she said. "It certainly helps to fill the gaps and offer a very unique experience for our students as well."
Principal Jones loves seeing so many different people from different backgrounds working at her school. She said it's been beneficial for everyone.
"It gives us an opportunity to be inclusive in lots of spaces and our kids learn from different cultures," she said. "We believe in providing our students with a world-class, high-quality education and they definitely bring that skillset to the table."
Koppala said she's grateful for the chance to prove herself — and the chance to learn from her students.
"I love it. I love learning different things," she said. "It's different compared to the Indian educational system. I've learned a lot."