Teacher and administrator certification is more complicated
than it appears in most states, and Alaska is no exception.
The Alaska Department of Education Teacher Certification
Office has an excellent
web
portal now compared to even a few years ago.
This includes a processing status tracking feature so you
can check on where your application is once filed, updated
definitions of endorsements, and the most recent information
on required online training for teachers once hired.
This section of our website is only meant to provide an
general overview of the process and requirements.
Oh, sure, we know a little about this topic, as we have
followed
the regulations ourselves for years as school
administrators, and hosted many virtual chats with EED staff
on the topics, but for current, accurate answers that can
impact critical life decisions, it's always important to get
answers about your specific situation direct from
the source, not from a third party website or an online
forum.
Important:
You need to get
specific certification questions answered from Alaska DEED!
Each state has its own hoops to jump through in the form of regulations, statutes, requirements, restrictions, background check procedures, and reciprocity agreements with other states. Although the Alaska Department of Education makes every attempt to help candidates navigate these requirements, it WILL be different than where you are from!
Start early, keep a positive attitude, and be detail
oriented. If you meet the requirements as outlined on the
application forms, you will end up with a certificate. All
teacher and administrator candidates must be fingerprinted,
and pass an FBI background screen.
Almost all certificates are the same price – $200, plus a
$60 Fingerprint
Fee. (Verified 9/26/22)
Likewise, nearly every type of certificate requires either
a State-Approved Program Verification form,
or Program Enrollment form from the DEED
website. Programs must include a program of study, and
a period supervised clinical practice. These documents
replace what used to be called the "Institutional
Recommendation". (Verified 9/26/22)
The Multicultural (MC - 3 credit hours) and Alaska Studies
(AK - 3 credit hours) courses required are almost always
completed in the two-year interval after you are
hired, and already working in Alaska. Typically, distance
education methods are used for these courses.
Special Education is different in some ways. For those interested in teaching Special Education to children with disabilities, in addition to meeting other requirements for teacher certification, no matter which certificate you apply for, you must already have an endorsement based upon completion of an approved teacher training program in Special Education.
The main teacher
certification
types are as follows:
Mandatory Training Modules
Since June, 2017, all teachers who have never been
certified in Alaska or another state, as well as those
applying for renewal of their license have been required to
prove
satisfactory completion of training in four new areas.
Applicants who are applying for an exempt certificate will need to satisfy the mandatory training requirement when they apply for their Second Initial, Professional, or Master certificates in the future.
Only trainings approved by an Alaska public school district or the Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) will satisfy this requirement. Trainings offered by universities and other organizations must be approved by DEED.
Although some other forms of training can be applied to this requirement if documented in application process, the training e-modules provided by the state are free to take online. Full details and links to the training modules and the form for proof of completion can be found here:Alaska Department of Education - Mandatory Trainings
https://education.alaska.gov/teachercertification/mandatorytraining.html
Since Alaska is only able to provide about 33% of its annual demand for teachers from in-state university pre-service programs, it is a fact that most teachers are originally recruited from other parts of the country.
Teacher certification is handled by states, and most teachers are certified in the state in which they finish their pre-service endorsement program, or where they are working now.
Question: Does Alaska have reciprocity with other states?
Answer: Both No and Yes! Right now, it is not
exactly reciprocity, no. Reciprocity implies
that a license in another state exempts a teacher from
needing one in the state with reciprocity. Alaska still
requires all teachers to have a valid Alaska certificate
prior to the first day of instruction.
However, having certificate in another state or US
territory does currently make getting one in Alaska much
easier.
As specified above, most teachers certified in another state
will want to apply for an Initial
/
Out-of-State
certificate. But, it at a minimum
seems to smooth the path for a one-year certificate while
other requirements are met. Although it is a one-year,
certificate, it may be reissued twice for a total of two (2)
one-year extensions. It will bear the same certification
area as your other state of certification.
For the first one-year extension, the following items must be received by the Teacher Certification office prior to the expiration of the Initial/Out-of-State certificate:
Depending on whether you have already met the Alaska basic competency examination requirement or not elsewhere, and completed a Bachelor's degree and teacher preparation program - which most teachers have - this certificate would be valid for a period of up to 3 years.
This is important, as Initial Out-of-State certificates are
non-renewable. All holders of Initial
type certificates have to complete the requirements for a
Professional or Master certificate during the validity
period of their Initial certificate.New!
In December 3, 2022, however, SB 20 - which Governor
Dunleavy signed - will go into effect, and it
does allow direct reciprocity with Lower 48 states and US
Territories. Learn more on Question: My Alaska
certificate has expired? Which certificate would I get? If your Initial Alaska certificate has been expired for 12
or more months, but was valid for at least two years,
then you would apply for an Initial/Reemployment
Teacher
certificate. It will reflect the certification
area of your initial certification. This
certificate is non-renewable, and you must next apply for a
Professional certificate. Question: What if I'm
considered a master teacher, or have a lifetime
certificate in my home state? All teachers new to the state start with Initial
certificates. There is no difference in pay or benefits.
But, after having held an Initial Certificate, and
passing the National Board exams ( NBPTS), you will quality
for a 10-year Master
Teacher
Certificate. The Initial / Program Enrollment
certificate is not designed as an "alternative
certification", but for a small number of people who meet a
very specific set of criteria, it could theoretically
function as such.
The intent seems to be more for
allowing people who already have an actual job offer from a
district, extensive life experience in certain areas, and a
Bachelor's degree in another subject to be able to work and
get paid as a teacher while enrolled in a traditional
university teacher preparation program. Applicants would
also have to meet all the other requirements for
certification, such as showing passing test scores on both
the Basic Competency and Content Area Exam assessments in
the subject to be taught. It specifically prohibits Special
Education as a subject area, and has strict progress
monitoring time lines. Finally, Emergency Teacher and
Administrator Certificates were introduced during the
COVID-19 pandemic as a tool for DISTRICTS to request a
person with an Associates Degree or higher, and who meet
specific criteria, be allowed to work for a single academic
year in role normally requiring a normal certificate.
Alternative Routes to Teaching
Note:> These can't be
applied for by candidates. Districts are required to
initiate this process, complete assurance forms, and meet
other criteria.
Retired Alaska Teacher Lifetime Certificates
Anyone who retired from teaching while holding a valid Alaska
teaching certificate will qualify to apply for the Retired
certificate. This is a lifetime credential, and does not
require fingerprinting or recency credits, but does require
the usual certification fee ($200) to be paid. You are
not required to hold a current Alaska teaching certificate in
order to be eligible for the Retired certificate.
Retired Certificate holders can work up to 120-day
short term assignments, and get paid at a certified
rate, but can't accept a full-time position.
See the required form for details.
The Troops to Teachersprogram has provided counseling, financial assistance and scholarships to armed forces members wishing work as teachers in K-12 schools.
After being after being canceled on October 1, 2020, the program was reauthorized on December 27, 2021, via the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022,
If you are interested in checking the
status of Troops to Teachers, or how those resources are
realigned, please see the Proud
to Serve
Again website.
Troops to Teachers started in 1994, and is intended to
assist qualified military personnel make the transition from
the armed services to service in the classrooms. The program
helps connect individuals with information, institutions and
the people that can help participants in meeting existing
state certification requirements. Assistance in finding a
teaching position was also provided, such as:
» Stipends (up to $5,000) have previously been available to help defray the costs of certification.
» Bonuses (up to $10,000) for those who commit to teaching
in "high needs" schools for a minimum of three years have
previously been available.
Eligibility guidelines for military service are pretty
specific, so fill out the TTT
Program Interest Form for more information as it
becomes available.
There are several specialty certification areas with more complex, and specific requirements. Some of these include School Psychologists, Speech Pathologists and and Hearing specialists. Please see the EED website for details.