Alaska Ed. Statistics
Avg. Elem. Teacher Salary* | $75,860 |
Avg. Sec. Teacher Salary* | $75,820 |
Avg. Admin. Salary* | $111,450 |
Teacher Retention (?) | 93% |
Vacation Wks/Yr | 15 |
Learn how to become a teacher in Alaska (or administrator). Choose the description of certification you are most interested in or situation that best describes you:
Avg. Elem. Teacher Salary* | $75,860 |
Avg. Sec. Teacher Salary* | $75,820 |
Avg. Admin. Salary* | $111,450 |
Teacher Retention (?) | 93% |
Vacation Wks/Yr | 15 |
Investing in our future is vitally important and strangely difficult. In order to fight oppression from the greedy and power-hungry elite, to better our ways of life with advancing technology, and to increase our country's overall views toward the concept of acceptance, we need education to be a priority. Learn how you can be a spoke in this terribly important wheel. See how Alaska measures up to the rest of the country by viewing the percentage of state revenue going toward education in each state. (see State Education Spending vs. Overall State Revenue).
Teaching in Alaska provides a different set of challenges than teaching in other states. Education Northwest reports that 64 percent of school districts in Alaska qualify as “rural,” meaning that they either have a population of 5500 or less and are not connected by rail or road to Anchorage, or that they have a population of 1500 or less and are connected by rail or road to Anchorage. The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development is actively recruiting teachers for these rural, or bush, areas, that make up most of the state, and may offer incentives to prospective teachers in these areas. Whether you choose to teach in a rural or metropolitan area, you must satisfy the same requirements to become a certified teacher in Alaska. Find schools offering teaching certification programs in Alaska.
Some of the approved Alaska teacher preparation programs are offered at the bachelor’s level, but many are at the post-bachelor’s, master’s, or post-master’s level. Alaska teacher preparation programs may lead to a bachelor’s degree, graduate certificate or master’s degree.
If you do not enroll in an approved Alaska teacher preparation program following the completion of your bachelor’s degree program, you may still be eligible for an initial certificate if you complete a program from an accredited college or university offering nationally recognized programs that use National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) standards for teacher preparation.
Types of Certificates Available:
For an overview of Alaska examination requirements for prospective teaches, visit the Praxis website.
Basic skills testing:In order to qualify for an Initial Teacher Certificate, you do not need teaching experience beyond that of your college teacher preparation program. If you attend an Alaska teacher preparation program, an internship and/or field placement averaging a year in duration should be included within this program. You will likely complete this internship in an actual classroom setting under the mentorship of a supervising teacher.
During your internship, you can expect to prepare lesson plans, direct the class, observe your mentor teacher as he or she directs the class, and receive valuable guidance from your mentor teacher. The length of your internship will vary based upon your teacher preparation program.
If you hold a teacher certificate in another state or a foreign country, check the requirements (see page 8) necessary for submittal of an Initial Teacher Certificate application.
All applicants for Initial Teaching Certification in Alaska must undergo a criminal history background check. If you already held a student teacher position in an Alaska school and completed a background check, and your Alaska Student Teacher Authorization expired less than 60 days prior to submitting your Initial Teacher Certificate application, you may not need to re-apply. Email the teacher certification office at tcwebmail@alaska.gov to check.
You must submit one FBI fingerprint card as part of the criminal history background check. If your school does not supply you with a card, email the teacher certification office to request one. They can also direct you to the nearest fingerprint location.
If you have questions about Alaska teacher education preparation programs, contact the university directly.
Further questions about the process for Alaska Initial Teacher Certification may be directed to the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development Teacher Education & Certification at (907) 465-2831, or by visiting the EED website.
* 2019 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data - Conditions in your area may vary.
**Teacher Retention Sources - U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education, Statistics Schools and Staffing Survey, 1999–2000 (“Public School Teacher Questionnaire,” “Private School Teacher Questionnaire,” and “Public Charter School Teacher Questionnaire”), and 2000–01 Teacher Follow-up Survey (“Questionnaire for Current Teachers” and “Questionnaire for Former Teachers,” Table 1.01). Washington, DC.
State estimations based on analysis by Richard Ingersoll, Professor of Education and Sociology, University of Pennsylvania, from the National Center for Education Statistics Student and Staffing Survey, and therefore include a slight margin of error.