MOTT, N.D. — Mott-Regent Public Schools Superintendent Zachary Slayton wasn't sure how his decision to hire foreign teachers would be received in the district's small, southwestern North Dakota communities. But, once an international teacher himself, and with previous experience in another remote district where foreign teachers had become integral parts of that community, he knew it could work. Besides, he was getting desperate.

"We had even bought one of those extra packages on Zip Recruiter to try and fill some positions that had been open for months," Slayton said. "We just had no applicants, and a whole lot of gaping holes."

So, in 2023, Slayton took the leap and hired a handful of teachers from the Philippines, bringing them to the United States on J-1, or cultural exchange, visas,

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