Alaska education officials describe staffing shortfalls, certification backlog to House subcommittee

The House Finance Education Subcommittee heard Jan. 31 that the Department of Education and Early Development is facing persistent staffing shortfalls and a backlog in teacher certification processing.

Commissioner Dina Bishop and Deputy Commissioner Karen Morrison told the panel that about 300 people work for the department and that the department’s current vacancy rate is “about 13.3% at this time,” Morrison said. Bishop reported 598 “first‑day vacancies,” a metric the department tracks for contracts and staffing, and said 43 department positions are federally funded.

The staffing picture, officials said, is driving several department efforts: expanding the teacher recruitment and retention (TRR) playbook, launching registered apprenticeship pathways for teachers and principals, and creating a one‑stop Alaska Educator Recruitment and Retention Center (AERRC) to help districts with hiring and visa sponsorship.

“Teachers that are there have the application and all the qualifications to be certified. It’s just not processed,” Bishop said about temporary certification delays. She said an online move and a surge in applications created the backlog. Bishop told members the department’s goal is to process complete online certification applications within 30 days; she said current work has reduced the backlog to roughly eight weeks for some items.

Morrison gave the vacancy and funding figures during a question from lawmakers: “Our vacancy rate is about 13.3% at this time,” she said. Bishop said approximately 300 staff work for the department and later told the subcommittee there are 43 federally funded positions in the agency.

Lawmakers pressed officials on several fronts: whether bonuses and incentive payments target all job classes; how first‑day vacancy counts compare across urban and rural districts; and whether teacher bonuses or national board certification stipends are funded. Bishop said bonuses tied to recruitment and retention are aimed at classroom teachers and that some elements of last year’s House Bill 230 regulations are out for public comment. She said a separate regulatory package for another national board‑certification payment remains in process but was not funded in the governor’s budget.

Bishop described steps to streamline certification and reduce delays: moving from paper to online applications, adding customer‑service staff, increasing webinar support for districts, and hiring additional staff to enter and troubleshoot certification records. She said the department has extended the period teachers can work while certification is pending: “We extended 90 to 150 days,” and added the long‑term goal of returning processing to the 30‑day target.

The AERRC will also support districts that hire internationally and seek visa sponsorships. Bishop said many international hires — including teachers from the Philippines — have advanced degrees and years of experience and that some rural communities report strong community engagement from international teachers.

Several lawmakers asked for more data: district‑level vacancy counts, the share of vacancies that are newly created positions versus unfilled existing jobs, and exit‑survey findings explaining why educators leave. Bishop said the department is implementing a teacher exit and stay survey and will provide additional data to the committee.

The subcommittee scheduled further budget review sessions and invited Bishop to return for additional questions later in the week.