(a) If a local or regional board of education is not able to hire a sufficient number of certified bilingual education teachers for a school year, the board of education shall apply to the Commissioner of Education for permission to use a certified teacher of English as a second language to fill its need and the commissioner may grant such request for good cause shown.
(b) The Department of Education shall promote and encourage teacher exchange programs and provide information to local and regional boards of education on such programs in order to increase foreign language proficiency and cultural understanding.