KTUU.com | Alaska's news and information source | Rural teachers get crash-course in Bush life

Rural teachers get crash-course in Bush life

by Leyla Santiago
Saturday, Aug. 2, 2008

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Rural teachers are preparing for the upcoming school year.    

Many of them come straight from the Lower 48 and have never seen the remote villages they will soon call home.

Teachers must be in their villages by Tuesday -- not giving them much time to get adjusted before finding themselves in classrooms on the Last Frontier.

Laurie Carlson is new to the state from Chicago. She and Darci Cook flew into Anchorage Friday night.

"It was amazing coming in, seeing the mountains through the clouds," Carlson said.

The two teachers on Saturday sat in what's known as "the welcome wagon," learning about a new journey on which they've embarked.

"First time teaching and first time in Alaska, too," said Cook, who is up from Detroit.

Carlson and Cook are not alone. Most teachers in Alaska also hail from Outside. The state expects to welcome some 400 new teachers this year.

"The majority of the teachers that Alaska gets -- not just rural Alaska -- unfortunately right now come from the Lower 48," said Jim Hickerson, superintendent of the Bering Strait School District. "We're just not able at this time to produce enough in-state teachers."

But a lot of teachers in the rural areas only stay a few years, causing significant staff challenges.

"We've been real fortunate for the last four years as our teacher turnover has continued to drop. Now we're less than 20 percent," Hickerson said.

The superintendent says Bering Strait's district will receive 45 new teachers this year, one-fifth of the district's entire certified staff.

"This is a good way to help us with our teacher retention," he said.

For the first time, Alaska teacher placement and the Bering Strait district are offering new teachers a place to get together and make a smooth transition into Bush life.

Internet is available and veteran teachers dole out advice.

Some of the freshman class says it's strange having to shop for so much at once, since full-supply grocery stores are nonexistent in rural Alaska.

The teachers spent a good portion of their time this weekend at Wal-Mart, finishing up their last-minute business before heading far out into the Bush.

Already, they've noticed the higher cost of living here and are learning about proper storage and shipping.

"What's the most cost effective way to mail food because they're coming from the Lower 48 and a lot of them are new teachers so they don't have a lot of money," said Adrianna Taylor-Brown, a Bering Strait educator.

The little details make a big difference.

Carlson and Cook are aware that the near future won't exactly provide their known comfort zones. But they're open to learning, and more importantly, look forward to teaching.

Bering Strait officials say nine more teachers fly in to Anchorage this weekend.

Contact Leyla Santiago at lsantiago@ktuu.com