The need for qualified Spanish-speaking teachers to meet a sudden influx of Hispanic students has contributed to a pre-existing teacher shortage in North Carolina.
For years, state education officials have warned of a statewide teacher shortage that could worsen in the future. But the shortage is having an even greater impact on the state's growing Hispanic population.
Fran Hoch, N.C. section chief of second language programs, said the influx of Hispanics in North Carolina is due to low unemployment rates that have forced companies to hire foreign workers.
"A large number of those (workers) are Hispanic, and they bring their children into the classroom," Hoch said. "Over the previous year there has been an increase of over 7,000 Hispanic children in North Carolina schools. Their number now totals 44,165."
Hoch said the increase has created the need for Spanish-speaking teachers in classrooms.
"There needs to be a lift in the number of folks who teach English as a second language," she said.
Hoch added that teaching children who speak little English requires extra effort from teachers.
State education officials also say the demand for Spanish-speaking teachers is overwhelming.
"In the past there has not been a tremendous Hispanic population in North Carolina but that population is growing," said Gordon Millspaugh, assistant director of human resource at the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.