School districts that offer bilingual education often find it difficult to hire enough teachers for their growing Latino populations. To expand the pool of bilingual teachers, some districts recruit teachers from Spanish-speaking countries. Yet there has been little research on how these teachers fare or what supports they need to succeed. This article investigates issues confronted by 31 foreign-educated Latino teachers, teaching in a high-needs Midwestern urban district while attaining U.S. certification. The article delineates the teachers’ personal, professional, and academic adjustments and describes the elements they required for success, emphasizing the importance of social capital.
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