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NEA Today, Mar 2004

Teen Births Tumbling

The teen birth rate reached a historic low in 2002, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A CDC report shows that births among girls ages 15-19 years decreased by 30 percent during the past decade to 43 births per 1,000 women. And the birth rate decreased even more among young teens (between 15 and 17 years)-down more than 40 percent since 1991. Meanwhile, the rate among girls between 10 and 14 years has been cut in half.

Coming to America

The rights of foreign teachers working in U.S. public schools may be getting overlooked, according to the NEA report Trends in Foreign Teacher Recruitment. Temporary teachers arriving from overseas generally do not receive the same protections and due-process rights afforded to stateside educators, the report found. What's more, some school districts shortchange their foreign teachers by paying them starting teachers' salaries regardless of their experience level and qualifications. Although visa programs require that nonimmigrant workers receive wages equal to or greater than those earned by similar employees, the mandate isn't strictly enforced, according to NEA's report. Nearly 10,000 foreign educators work in American schools under nonimmigrant and cultural exchange visas.