New Mexico Joins California in Looking South for Teachers

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has signed an agreement with government officials in Mexico to encourage teachers from that neighboring country to teach in his state for up to three years. The agreement makes New Mexico the second state, next to California, to have such an agreement with Mexico.

By contrast, 23 states and four individual school districts outside of those states have formal arrangements with Spain to bring teachers to the United States for three-year stints.

About 1,000 teachers from Spain are teaching in U.S. public schools this school year through those agreements, according to the Spanish Embassy in Washington. Only 60 teachers from Mexico are teaching in the United States under...