Education

• To work as a teacher in Alaska, a minimum of a bachelor's degree is necessary. In addition, prospective teachers must complete a teacher preparation program at a college approved by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development. As of April 2011, four schools offered approved programs: the University of Alaska at Anchorage and Fairbanks, the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau and Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage. Most programs at these universities culminate in baccalaureate degrees, allowing candidates to complete both the degree and teacher preparation requirements simultaneously.
  
  

Certification

• Under Alaska state law, all prospective teachers must obtain certification from the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development. In addition to having the necessary degree and teacher preparation, candidates must take a course on Alaskan studies and a course on multicultural communication to qualify for certification. All prospective teachers must also pass a basic skills examination on English and mathematics and a content test related to their areas of specialty. Passing a criminal background check is also necessary.
  
  

Salary

• Salaries for teachers in Alaska vary based upon their field of specialty. With average annual salaries of $29,300 per year, the lowest-paid teachers in the state were those involved in instruction at the preschool level as of May 2009, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Teachers in elementary schools made an average of $68,070 per year, while those in middle schools averaged $66,060. In Alaska high schools, teachers received an average of $67,640. Special education teachers in Alaska earned $65,940 to $70,320 annually, depending on their grade-levels taught. The highest-paid teachers in the state were those specializing in vocational education at the high school level with average yearly salaries of $71,230.
  
  

Outlook by Specialty

• Middle school special education was identified as the fastest-growing field for teachers in Alaska through 2018 by the ADLWR with a rate of 13 percent. The field of teaching predicted to experience the creation of the most new jobs were the kindergarten and elementary specialties with an estimated 318 new positions in the field. Secondary school regular education was the slowest-growing field of teaching with a predicted growth rate of only 2.5 percent; however, the field was predicted to have the most openings due to retirements and job changes at 648 open positions.