Reductions in Force: Alaska

Analysis of Alaska's policies

In Alaska, the factors used by districts to determine which teachers are laid off during a reduction in force must consider a teacher's tenure status and are decided at the district level. School districts may only lay off tenured teachers after notice of dismissal has been given to nontenured teachers. In addition, "a school district may retain a nontenured teacher and place on layoff status a tenured teacher if there is no tenured teacher in the district who is qualified to replace the nontenured teacher."

Citation

Alaska Statute 14.20.177

Recommendations for Alaska

Require that districts consider classroom performance as a factor in determining which teachers are laid off during reductions in force.
Alaska can still leave districts flexibility in determining layoff policies, but it should do so within a framework that ensures that classroom performance is considered.  

Ensure that tenure is not the only factor used to determine which teachers are laid off.
While it is not unreasonable to lay off probationary teachers before those with tenure, doing this without also considering performance is in effect a proxy for seniority-based layoffs and risks sacrificing effective teachers while maintaining low performers. Further, because probationary teachers draw lower salaries, the state may be mandating that districts dismiss a larger number of effective probationary teachers rather than a smaller group of ineffective tenured teachers to achieve the same budget reduction.

State response to our analysis

Alaska recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.