Atlanta preschool combats teacher shortage by hiring Afghan refugees

Child care centers across the country have long struggled to find enough teachers. One Atlanta preschool found help in a surprising place: A local community of Afghan refugees. 

“It’s a win-win on both ends,” said Susie Riddick, the director of child development at the Frazer Center. “So this opens a new door for us.” 

The Frazer Center hired seven Afghan war refugees as new teachers. It’s a four-month pilot program in which the refugees, who are paid interns, become certified as child care instructors and will qualify for full-time jobs. As they teach, they also learn English three days a week. 

“Sometimes I speak my language with the kids,” said Fahima Aimaq, a 33-year-old refugee from Kabul. “Some kids say, ‘You are French?’ I said, ‘No, I am not French. I am from Afghanistan.'”

“The children [are] not different,” Aimaq added. “Every [child is the] same.”

Riddick said the new teachers have surpassed the school’s expectations. “We actually weren’t sure what to expect,” she said. “And at the end of it we are hoping to hire all of them as part of our team.”