District's goal to eventually have ELL programs in each school.

As Diego Marquez begins his first year of teaching sixth-grade math at Landon Middle School, he looks forward to being a student of the U.S. education system, American culture and sharpening his own English language skills.

“This is my first time teaching math in English,” he said. “It could be very interesting. Maybe I can learn and improve my English.”

Marquez, 43, is one of several bilingual Spanish teachers the Kansas State Department of Education and Topeka Unified School District 501 have recruited from Spain to teach in the district’s dual language program. As part of the program that started in 2009 at Scott Magnet and Whitson Elementary schools, students who speak English and Spanish are instructed in both languages during the course of a school day.

The teachers, who are native Spanish speakers but are fluent in English, are in the U.S. on “J-1” visas and could stay in the country for three years as part of the state education department’s Visiting International Teachers program.

As part of the program, the teachers agree to stay in the U.S. for at least a year and the district covers the cost of their visas.

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