Alaska, like the rest of the nation, is experiencing a severe shortage of qualified teachers and principals. Research has shown that a qualified teacher in the classroom is the single most important school-based factor in a student's success. It is incumbent upon the Legislature to provide additional tools to Alaskan school districts to combat the current teacher shortage and thus continue to assist school districts in their efforts to improve student learning.

SB 145 is companion legislation to HB 20. It would allow schools experiencing a shortage of education professionals to reemploy teachers and principals who had retired under a Retirement Incentive Program (RIP). This bill would not require any school district to reemploy any particular retired individual; it would only give them the option to do so.

School districts would be required to certify that they are experiencing a shortage in order to reemploy a RIP-retired teacher or principal. Those reemployed under this provision would not be required to pay back their retirement incentive as currently required by statute.

This bill would also allow the Department of Education and the Department of Labor to hire regular and RIP-retired teachers and principals for the Mt. Edgecumbe High School, the Alaska State School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and the Alaska Vocational Technical Center. The Senate State Affairs Committee amended SB 145 to also allow the hiring of a RIP individual as a Commissioner.

SB 145 will provide one more tool to school districts suffering from the shortage of education professionals. I urge your support.

Last Updated: 05-05-03

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