The first batch of Jamaican teachers, who were recruited from the island to teach in New York City, is now grasping hold of the American dream.

Many have furthered their education by attaining masters’ degrees. Others have completed or are working on their doctorates, while several are planting roots by purchasing property in the United States.

“Some of them are doing extremely well,” said Una Clarke, a former New York City Councilwoman who helped orchestrate the recruitment effort that whisked about 300 Jamaican teachers away from their homeland in 2001.

The impact of the migration was felt at home and abroad. In Jamaica, there is now a faculty shortage, and so retirees and less experienced teachers were hired to fill the gap. In New York, a law stating that only U.S. citizens could become fully certified teachers was changed to allow the foreign teachers to receive their certification before they became U.S. citizens.

“Assemblyman Nick Perry (D-58th District) lobbied on their behalf to change the law, so they would be qualified after two years,” said Irwine Clare, managing director of Caribbean Immigrant Services in Queens, who also championed the cause of the teachers who had difficulties finding affordable housing when they first arrived.

Many teachers shared cramped quarters with family members or colleagues at first. Neville McFarlane boarded with relatives before moving with his wife and children into a small basement apartment in Brooklyn. Since then, he has obtained his master’s degree, begun working on his doctorate, and has recently purchased a house in Georgia, because real estate property is more affordable there than in New York.

“We were like the risk-takers, and after that, everybody jumped on the bandwagon,” said McFarlane, who praised God for the success he has had so far.

A path of progress is common among the Jamaican teachers, who made good impressions on their employers in New York. The New York City Board of Education recruited additional teachers from Jamaica until 2003 when it began to rely more heavily on domestic sources to fill job openings.

“Logistically, it is a little more difficult to recruit from foreign countries,” said Melody Meyer, spokesperson for the Board. “Sometimes it’s worth it.”

A program that offers incentives to career changers increased the pool of domestic applicants, but the Board still looks for teachers from other countries to fill shortage areas like math, science, Spanish, and bilingual education. Information on the Board’s website indicated that job seekers from Jamaica are still welcome to apply.

Benefits like tuition reimbursement help teachers excel on the job.

“I have completed my master’s degree and I know a number of people who have,” said Nieva Lumsden, who teaches third grade at an elementary school in the Bronx. “Some came with their master’s and got their PhDs.”

Although individuals have succeeded, people who advocated on the teachers’ behalf complain that far more could have been accomplished. They regret that the teachers did not unite to empower themselves and to create future opportunities for others.

“People must understand that in order for us to be empowered as a group, they must look back at the mechanisms that have assisted them to see what they can give back,” said Clare.

Clare would like the teachers to become active in the alumni associations, assist other Jamaicans through various U.S.-based Jamaican organizations, create programs that help immigrant children succeed, write position papers that have a positive impact on the school system, and create permanent change in the Board of Education.

“They’re a group of teachers,” Clare said. “They are in a powerful position to effect change.”

The group made an effort to form an association of Caribbean teachers. They met periodically in Brooklyn, but over time, fewer and fewer teachers attended the meetings. Their primary concerns were converting their visa status from temporary to permanent residency, and getting work authorization for their spouses. None of these issues, however, has been resolved. In addition, their children are getting older and will therefore not be allowed to live in the United States.

“I was urging people to familiarize themselves with the immigration process,” said Barbara Wedderburn-Simpson, who has completed her master’s degree in general and special education since arriving in New York. “We don’t have a coalition of teachers saying, ‘This is what we want.’”

Clarke suggests a unified body could serve as a resource for newly hired teachers and could better address the issues affecting international teachers. An association could create programs that help immigrant parents navigate the school system and help immigrant children stay in school.