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DEED emphasizes apprenticeships, certification updates and an exit/stay survey to address teacher shortages
Summary
DEED outlined a multi‑pronged teacher retention and recruitment (TRR) strategy including a TRR playbook, certification modernization (TeachAK), an educator exit/stay survey with ISER, and registered apprenticeship pilots; DEED said 71 apprentices currently participate across sponsors with DEED enrolling 13 this spring.
Deputy Director Kelly Manning told the House Finance Education Subcommittee Feb. 4 that teacher retention and recruitment work is grounded in the Alaska Education Challenge and a TRR playbook that identifies six strategy areas: streamlining certification, strengthening working conditions, enhancing recruitment, restructuring retirement options, creating paraprofessional pathways and developing leadership.
Manning described the department’s recent technology and process upgrade for teacher certification (TeachAK), acknowledged staffing and weather‑related processing slowdowns, and said certification processing timelines are now "roughly 4 to 6 weeks depending on the type of certification." She said DEED has also opened an exit and stay survey developed with the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) to capture why educators leave or stay; the survey opened this week and will run through the spring with an ISER analysis expected next fall.
Apprenticeships and partnership funding: Manning detailed DEED’s teacher registered apprenticeship work. "Across all sponsors, there are 71 apprentices. At deed, we are enrolling 13 this spring," she said. DEED reported 20 school districts participate in apprenticeship sponsorship. Funding sources for apprenticeship activities include a state apprenticeship expansion formula subgrant from the Department of Labor and carve‑outs of Title II funds to support mentor stipends and travel; universities provide coursework and ACSA/other partners provide mentor and cohort support.
Member concerns and requests: Legislators urged DEED to provide more measurable KPIs and impact data rather than activity metrics—how many educators are retained because of these interventions and what it costs to scale programs. Members also asked for details on which TRR activities DEED directly funds versus those delivered by partner organizations (universities, ACSA/ARC, Alaska State Mentor Project). Manning said some work is DEED‑funded, some is district‑funded and some supported by partners and federal grants.
What DEED will provide: DEED agreed to share quantifiable metrics for certification throughput, apprenticeship enrollment targets and the ISER survey timeline and eventual findings. Manning said DEED is piloting a principal registered apprenticeship (one principal this spring) as part of an effort to build leadership pathways that support retention.
Ending: Committee members asked DEED to return with costed KPIs and program‑level funding breakdowns to guide budget decisions.
