Session: State Capitol, Room 516 Juneau, AK 99801-1182 Phone: (907) 465-2095 Fax: (907) 465-3810 Subscribe to Newsletter Weekly Report from Juneau Interim: 716 W 4th Avenue, Suite 520 Anchorage, AK 99501-2133 Phone: (907) 269-0240 Fax: (907) 269-0242

Overcoming Alaska's Teacher Shortage

Teachers are disappearing from Alaska's classrooms in increasing numbers. At the beginning of this school year there were almost 90 teaching vacancies statewide. There are over 300 vacancies for next year. Overcoming this shortage will take new, innovative policies to recruit, hire and retain qualified teachers.

Effective teachers are critical to student learning. Robert Holland, writing in the April/May 2001 issue of Policy Review, chronicles a number of recent studies that reveal, aside from parental involvement, effective teachers are the most important factor in student success, across grade levels and around the country. No other factor-per-pupil expenditures, class size, physical environment, parental income-is more important to student achievement than well-educated, motivated teachers.

The teacher shortage is a nationwide phenomenon. Illinois public schools had 2,637 unfilled teaching jobs just a few months ago. Tucson Unified School District was short 200 teachers when school began this year. Maryland faces a shortage of 10,350 teachers by fall 2001.

States are reaching beyond their borders to attract qualified teachers to overcome these shortages. A recent University of Alaska Anchorage newspaper contained a large advertisement from the Clark County, Nevada, School District. This district came to UAA to recruit last month. Alaska school districts recruited as recently as last week in Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

Some states are also raising the recruiting stakes by employing cash incentives to attract teachers. Other states are employing signing bonuses, or one-time stipends for teachers who achieve national board certification.

Alaska has limited capacity to provide for its own teaching needs. The best estimates are the University of Alaska graduates less than 30 percent of the new teachers needed in Alaska and not all of these graduates enter the teaching profession. The University graduates well-qualified students to be teachers, but it simply does not produce enough graduates to meet Alaska's need.

Proactive legislation can help alleviate the teacher shortage. We can make it easier to recognize the credentials of teachers certified in other states. We can ease the reentry of previously certified teachers who want to return to the classroom. We can improve teacher medical coverage. We can create incentives for retired teachers to return to the classroom. I introduced SB 149 to implement these ideas. This bill passed the Legislature.

Retired teachers represent an available pool of experience and teaching talent in Alaska. SB 149 gives them the option to enter the workforce again without losing their pension benefit. Testimony from teachers made it clear that this will encourage their return to the classroom.

Innovative solutions can increase the qualified teaching pool. We should allow people who have degrees in fields like math, physics and chemistry to teach those subjects. Music professionals and foreign languages experts should also be able to teach in the classroom. This smart and practical solution is contained in Senator Pete Kelly's Senate Bill 86. This also passed the Legislature.

This approach is proving its worth around the country. In programs like Teach for America, thousands of college graduates not majoring in education have been placed directly into jobs in some of the toughest schools in the country. The results? Their supervisors rated them well above average across the board in intellect, motivation and classroom management.

I was raised in Ninilchik, on the Kenai Peninsula. One of my favorite high school teachers was Miss McCune. She was tough yet approachable. She challenged and inspired me. I remember her lessons well. I wish every student in Alaska could have the benefit from learning from a teacher like Miss McCune. By attracting good teachers to Alaska, I believe they will.

Senator Loren Leman is the Senate Majority Leader, Vice-Chairman of the Senate HESS Committee, and a member of the Senate Finance and Senate Labor and Commerce Committees. He is the father of three children.

# # #

Attachments:

• Print Friendly Version
  requires Adobe Acrobat Reader - 2 page(s) - 65 K

| Sen. Leman's Page |

| Top | Home | Site Search | Breaking News | Legislators | Bills |
| Committees | E-Newsletter | Surveys | Research | Help |

The Official Web Site of the House and Senate Legislative Majorities
for the 22nd Alaska State Legislature
To Report Technical Problems or Contact Webmasters