The Newport Independent Schools hired a Spanish teacher, in a position that had been open for more than two years.

Beatriz Granados Molina – from Ciudad Real, a small town near Madrid, Spain – teaches grades 8 through 12, which are the classes she taught during her 22 years as an ESL teacher in his native country.

“When I had the online interview with Newport High School, I knew this was the perfect place for me and my daughters,” said Granados Molina. “Being here will help me grow as a teacher. And it’s a plus for Newport to have a native Spanish teacher.

“Learning a second language and its culture is very important to our students,” she said. “I hope Spanish will become an important part of our program.”

Granados Molina said she can help connect with the many Hispanic families in Newport who need help, as many only speak Spanish.

Granados Molina was hired under the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) International Visiting Teachers Program, which develops international partnerships with education authorities in different countries around the world to provide global language services to students and to Kentucky school districts.

Newport Independent Schools Superintendent Tony Watts said turning to KDE programs shows the district “is thinking outside the box to find qualified minority teachers.”

“We haven’t been able to fill this position for a few years,” Watts said. “The International Visiting Teacher Program has given us the opportunity to find a multicultural teacher who can speak multiple languages ​​and this has given us another opportunity to find a qualified Spanish teacher.”

Granados Molina graduated from the Spanish University of Salamanca.

“I always knew I wanted to be a teacher,” she says. “This is my vocation and this is what makes me happy. It’s the best job in the world and it gives you the opportunity to pass on your passion for learning to young people.

The school system made Granados Molina feel welcome.

“I want to thank Newport High School for the welcome and support,” she said. “It was very hard to move but they have helped a lot since we arrived. They made it the Wildcat Way!

Newport Independent Schools