The Education Ministry has rejected applications from an experienced special education teacher to work in the restructured public school system.

Alverna Whitter -- who has substituted at several Government schools, including Somerset Primary, Elliott Primary, Sandys Secondary, and Orange Valley for special students -- this week told The Royal Gazette she did not understand why her applications to work at CedarBridge Academy or in a middle school were denied.

And with more than 17 years of teaching experience in the US and Bermuda, the American-born educator and wife of a Bermudian said she was shocked to read that the Education Ministry was looking overseas for more teachers.

Senior manager of the Education Department's human resources Raymond Latter earlier this week said the Ministry was looking for people to fill temporary posts, mainly in the special needs area, because Government did not want to "increase the formal establishment with those posts''.

"We anticipate that we will need these people to meet the number of special needs students that we have in this coming year,'' he said, commenting on teacher vacancies advertisements that the Ministry placed in The Royal Gazette .

The vacancies included seven learning support teachers. And Mr. Latter admitted that the Ministry expected to have to look overseas for some of them.

But Mrs. Whitter argued that she was a specialist.

"I've been a certified teacher since 1980,'' she said. "I've had many years of experience in Boston, Massachusetts where I'm from. I've taught school in special education for a long time.'' She also questioned why she was good enough to remain a substitute, but not to be hired full-time.

"Substituting is much more difficult,'' she said. "But I'm not good enough to be hired full time.'' Mrs. Whitter has taken an assistant teaching position at Montessori Academy.

But she said: "I'm still trying to get a job in the Government schools.

Montessori is a wonderful school. But I'm really concerned about the students in Government schools and how I can be of help to them.

"I don't think I'm the only one in this situation,'' she added. "I've had several principals and teachers, who work for the Government, very concerned about this.

Teacher says she is qualified for post "They (the Ministry) said they have exhausted all the Bermudian teachers and their spouses. I don't think that's true.

"They are looking overseas in Toronto and London. And I'm an American. I don't know if that has anything to do with it.

"I've heard it is because of this, even though I don't want to believe that is true.'' Mrs. Whitter, who married in 1984 and moved to Bermuda two years ago, also pointed out that she received a glowing reference from the president of Montessori's board of trustees.

"If they (the Ministry) can trust someone from overseas, they can trust someone here,'' she said. "I live here and I'm teaching at Montessori which is a very prestigious school. And I get great respect. Yet my heart just goes when I think that I'm certified teacher and I cannot gain employment in my field which is special education.'' Mrs. Whitter said she plans to take her case to the Bermuda Union of Teachers.

No one from the union could be reached for comment.

But when contacted about Mrs. Whitter's complaint, Mr. Latter said the posts which she applied for required the knowledge and understanding of "specific instructional strategies for working with students with learning difficulties''.

While pointing out that it was not the Ministry's policy to comment on individual cases, Mr. Latter -- in a prepared statement -- added: "The postholder must also possess the ability to collaborate with the classroom teacher in order to provide opportunities for all students to achieve success in the regular class.'' He noted that during two interviews, Mrs. Whitter was unable to "demonstrate that she possessed the specific knowledge required to deliver the learning support programme''.

"The role of the learning support teacher is a critical component of the Ministry's inclusion programme,'' Mr. Latter said. "We still have vacancies in this area and would not overlook the opportunity to hire local persons if they fitted the requirements of the post.'' Raymond Latter