U.S. Department of Labor approves Alaska’s Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program

Recruiting and retaining qualified teachers in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District (MSBSD), as well as the rest of the state has been getting harder over the past decade. The MSBSD has 48 school staffed by about 1,200 teachers, and turnover is less in Mat-Su than in rural schools, in the 10 percent range.

Still, recruiting and hiring up to 120 teachers and professional staff a year is a big financial burden. It costs up to $25,000 in direct expense for a school district to recruit and hire new teacher in Alaska, according to University of Alaska researchers.

The school district has addressed the problem by working out an agreement with Chadron State College in Chadron, Nebraska, a small liberal arts college in western Nebraska with a long history as a teaching college. Graduates of MSBSD high schools who want to teach can enroll in Chadron’s four-year online “Academy” degree program, completing the course work remotely, from home, and working part-time as a teaching aide in Mat-Su schools, gaining practical class experience.

Now, the Department of Education and Early Development’s (DEED) Commissioner Deena Bishop has announced the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) approved the DEED application to establish the Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program (T-RAP).

This groundbreaking initiative enables aspiring educators to gain practical experience and mentorship while working in their local schools, helping them become certified teachers.

T-RAP is a key strategy to address Alaska’s teacher shortage, integrating on-the-job learning with academic coursework and mentorship. The program creates accessible pathways for paraprofessionals, career changers, and other community members to enter the teaching profession without leaving their communities.

The program builds on recommendations from Governor Mike Dunleavy’s Teacher Retention and Recruitment (TRR) Working Group to expand pathways for paraprofessionals and community members to become teachers, strengthening Alaska’s teacher pipeline. In January 2023, the State Board of Education passed a resolution to establish a registered apprenticeship pathway, underscoring the critical need for transformative workforce solutions for Alaska’s schools.

“The Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program represents Alaska's commitment to growing our own educators by investing in local talent,” said Commissioner Deena Bishop of DEED. “This initiative will help ensure our schools are staffed with educators who are deeply connected to their communities and fully equipped to meet the diverse needs of our students.”

Partnerships with statewide agencies, universities, school districts, tribes, and unions have been critical in developing T-RAP. The program will launch as a pilot in Spring 2025 and expand statewide by Fall 2025, reflecting a shared commitment to addressing Alaska’s unique educational challenges and preparing high-quality teachers.

For more information about the Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program, contact Kelly Manning at kelly.manning@alaska.gov.