The classroom is where we can add the most value.
In March 2023, Governor Dunleavy introduced legislation establishing a teacher recruitment and retention incentive to provide full-time, certified classroom teachers a cash payment each July for a period of three years.
The Teacher Retention and Recruitment Incentive bill identifies cash payment tiers for each school district in the amount of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000. The highest tier payments are directed to Alaska’s remote and rural schools. The $10,000 tier is targeted toward rural schools that, despite their remoteness, are sufficiently linked to Alaska’s urban networks to allow for more regular access to goods and services. The $5,000 tier is focused on incentivizing teachers in Alaska’s most urbanized areas.
“As a former educator in rural Alaska, I know how big of a difference it makes when a teacher stays in a community for a longer period of time,” said Governor Mike Dunleavy. “The labor market for teachers is tight across the country, but this bill will help Alaska school districts recruit and retain qualified teachers for years to come.”
Under the terms of the bill, certified full-time teachers assigned to a classroom teaching assignment will receive a lump sum payment on, or around, July 1, 2024, July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2026. In order to be eligible for the lump sum payment, a teacher must occupy a teaching position for the entirety of the school term for the school year immediately preceding the date of payment. The purpose of the bill is to provide a post-school year payment to encourage teachers to remain in Alaska for the entirety of the school year, thereby promoting continuity for Alaska’s students and maximizing education outcomes.
Payment of the lump sum is contingent on legislative appropriation.
$5,000 Tier School Districts
Anchorage
Fairbanks North Star Borough
Juneau Borough
Kenai Peninsula Borough
Matanuska-Susitna Borough
$10,000 Tier School Districts
Alaska Gateway
Aleutian Region
Aleutians East Borough
Annette Island
Chugach
Copper River
Cordova City
Delta/Greely
Denali Borough
Galena City
Haines Borough
Ketchikan Gateway Borough
Kodiak Island Borough
Mt. Edgecumbe High School
Nenana City
Nome Public Schools
Petersburg Borough
Saint Mary’s
Sitka
Skagway
Unalaska City
Valdez City
Wrangell Public
Yakutat
$15,000 School Districts
Bering Strait
Bristol Bay Borough
Chatham
Craig City
Dillingham City
Hoonah City
Hydaburg City
Iditarod Area
Kake City
Kashunamiut
Klawock City
Kuspuk
Lake and Peninsula Borough
Lower Kuskokwim
Lower Yukon
North Slope Borough
Northwest Arctic Borough
Pelican City
Pribilof
Southeast Island
Southwest Region
Tanana City
Yukon Flats
Yukon-Koyukuk
Yupiit