Due to the coronavirus outbreak, millions of students face severe challenges as they transition to remote learning. At every level, from daycare centers and preschools all the way up to colleges and universities, immigrants in the U.S. education sector play a significant role in supporting children and their families. Together, they help ensure America’s next generation receives the quality education they need during the Covid-19 crisis and beyond.

The latest data from the American Community Survey show that 2 million immigrants made up more than one in eight workers in the U.S. education sector in 2018. Nearly 60 percent of these immigrant workers held a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Figure 1: Immigrants in the Education Sector

	Number of Foreign-Born Workers	Share of All Workers, Foreign-Born
Education Sector, Overall	2,056,041	12.8%
Child Day care	278,313	17.7%
K-12	898,365	9.8%
Colleges and Universities	750,415	17.3%
Others Schools and Education Support Services	128,948	14.0%

In the 15 largest states by population, immigrants make up at least one out of every seven workers in education. In some states, that share is even higher. For example, in New York, California, and Florida, immigrants make up more than one in five workers in this sector.

Figure 2: Immigrant Workers in the Education Sector in the 15 Largest States

State	Number of Foreign-Born Workers	Share of All Workers, Foreign-Born
New York	242,521	20.0%
New Jersey	98,841	19.6%
California	393,391	22.4%
Michigan	34,353	7.8%
Massachusetts	74,919	16.3%
Florida	168,876	20.7%
Illinois	78,306	11.9%
Washington	42,860	12.4%
Pennsylvania	51,417	7.9%
Texas	234,691	16.8%
Virginia	66,431	14.4%
Georgia	47,326	9.6%
Arizona	40,767	13.0%
North Carolina	37,333	7.7%
Ohio	30,922	5.8%

Nationwide, more than 278,000 immigrants make up 17.7 percent of all workers at childcare centers. These immigrant workers help take care of children of essential workers who fight on the frontlines. Many now also work with parents at home to continue nurturing children’s early development through online activities.

Figure 3: Immigrant Workers in Child Day Care

	Number of Foreign-Born Workers	Share of All Workers, Foreign-Born
United States	278,313	17.7%
New York	46,810	37.0%
New Jersey	15,484	33.9%
California	62,401	37.2%
Florida	23,275	28.3%
Illinois	10,511	16.9%
Texas	21,952	17.5%
Virginia	11,513	25.7%

From socially distant play to virtual storytime, childcare workers and teachers have quickly restructured their programs to ensure children’s safety and to help them adjust to the new learning environment. About one in five childcare workers and one in eight preschool teachers are immigrants.

Figure 4: Select Occupations in Child Day Care in the United States

Occupation	Number of Immigrant Workers	Immigrants’ Share of Workforce
Childcare Workers	157,776	21.7%
Preschool Teachers	58,506	12.3%
Teaching Assistants	21,324	19.7%

As millions of students in the K-12 system struggle to cope with major disruptions at school and at home, immigrants, along with their U.S.-born colleagues, help provide the stability students need at a time of crisis. In primary and secondary education, nearly 900,000 immigrants make up almost one in 10 workers nationwide. In California alone, one in five workers in the K-12 system are immigrants.

Figure 5: Immigrant Workers in Primary and Secondary Education

	Number of Foreign-Born Workers	Share of All Workers, Foreign-Born
United States	898,365	9.8%
New York	111,010	15.6%
New Jersey	49,174	14.9%
California	194,480	19.8%
Massachusetts	20,677	9.4%
Florida	84,675	17.4%
Illinois	28,384	7.8%
Washington	14,314	7.4%
Pennsylvania	12,947	3.7%
Texas	139,405	15.4%
Virginia	28,127	10.9%
Georgia	18,988	6.4%
Arizona	20,974	11.5%
Maryland	20,087	11.2%
North Carolina	11,591	4.4%

While K-12 schools were already struggling to recruit and retain teachers before the pandemic, immigrants play a critical role in easing the teacher shortage. Nearly one in 13 teachers in elementary, middle, and high schools are immigrants. During the crisis, they are working hard to develop online courses and help students progress through their learning milestones. Among them are also nearly 18,000 foreign-born special education teachers who work with students with special needs, making sure they will not fall behind during the lockdown.

Figure 6: Select Occupations in Primary and Secondary Education in the United States

Occupation	Number of Immigrant Workers	Immigrants’ Share of Workforce
Elementary and Middle School Teachers	285,238	7.5%
Teaching Assistants	139,104	14.3%
Secondary School Teachers	55,107	7.4%
Special Education Teachers	17,877	7.3%

Meanwhile, colleges and universities are also tackling the sudden transition to online learning, with their immigrant staff members working hard to keep students connected and engaged in distance learning. More than 750,000 immigrants make up 17.3 percent of the higher education workforce.

Figure 7: Immigrant Workers in Colleges and Universities

	Number of Foreign-Born Workers	Share of All Workers, Foreign-Born
United States	750,415	17.3%
New York	70,009	23.2%
New Jersey	27,692	29.2%
California	104,968	22.6%
Michigan	21,477	13.8%
Massachusetts	40,320	22.9%
Florida	49,397	25.6%
Illinois	36,353	18.7%
Washington	16,151	17.5%
Pennsylvania	28,230	14.1%
Texas	63,704	21.4%
Virginia	21,133	16.1%
Georgia	20,196	16.9%
Arizona	13,636	16.6%
Maryland	21,339	19.6%
North Carolina	20,382	14.0%

As students try to figure out how to address challenges ranging from technical issues to distractions to lack of in-person interaction in online classes, they rely on their teachers and advisers for guidance and instructions, including the more than 370,000 immigrants working in such roles in higher education. In colleges and universities, more than one in five instructors and professors, one in four teaching assistants, and one in eight counselors and advisors are immigrants.

Figure 8: Select Occupations in Colleges and Universities in the United States

Occupation	Number of Immigrant Workers	Immigrants’ Share of Workforce
Postsecondary Teachers	310,688	23.0%
Teaching Assistants	34,019	29.4%
Counselors and Advisors	14,707	12.3%
Tutors	13,937	18.5%

More than three-quarters of these immigrants working in higher education have at least a bachelor’s degree, and closely 60 percent have an advanced degree. They are passing on their expertise and experience to students who will soon become an essential part of the force to help the country recover and rebuild after Covid-19.

Figure 9: Educational Attainment of Workers in Colleges and Universities

	Share of U.S.-Born Workers	Share of Foreign-Born Workers
Bachelor’s Degree	24.6%	18.6%
Advanced Degree	40.8%	59.2%

Reimagining how schools should function in the middle of a pandemic is not an easy task. Still, immigrants in the education sector are helping schools think through the major challenges they face, ranging from issuing new health and safety protocols to offering online instructions, to make sure their students will stay safe, healthy, and educated during this unprecedented crisis.

If you want to explore how immigrants often disproportionately serve in some of the most at-risk jobs in the Covid-19 crisis, including teachers and childcare workers featured in this brief, click the image below to explore our data visualization.

Finally, check out our research portal of Immigration and Covid-19. If you have any specific questions about our data, please reach out to us at info@newamericaneconomy.org.