Section 4 AAC 12.340 - Special education or special service alternate program certificate(a) If a school district superintendent is unable to recruit and hire a teacher who holds a valid teacher certificate under 4 AAC 12.305 with a special education endorsement or a special services certificate (Type C) under 4 AAC 12.355, the superintendent may request that the commissioner issue a special education or special services alternate program certificate for the hiring of a person who does not have the required endorsement or certificate.(b) The commissioner may grant an alternate program certificate under this section only if the chief school administrator of the district requests it through formal action of the school board.(c) An application for an alternate program certificate under this section must be submitted on a form provided by the department and include (1) proof that the person for whom the alternate program certificate is requested holds at least a bachelor's degree(2) a letter from the school district superintendent that details the actions taken by the district to recruit a person who holds a teacher certificate under 4 AAC 12.305 with a special education endorsement or a special services certificate under 4 AAC 12.355, including, at a minimum, either (A) recruiting through the University of Alaska Fairbanks Alaska Teacher Placement program; or(B) advertising in one or more newspapers of general circulation;(3) official transcripts evidencing that the person for whom the alternate program certificate is requested has completed a minimum of nine semester or 12 quarter hours of coursework required to complete the approved program under 4 AAC 12.307;(4) a letter from a program approved under 4 AAC 12.307 evidencing that the person for whom the alternative program certificate is requested is enrolled in an educational program that will qualify the person to receive a teaching certificate under 4 AAC 12.305 with a special education endorsement or a special services certificate under 4 AAC 12.355 not later than three years after the date of the application;(5) for an applicant applying for an alternate program certificate with a special education endorsement, qualifying scores on one of the competency examinations designated in 4 AAC 12.310; and(6) evidence that the applicant has met the requirements of 4 AAC 12.397(a).(d) An alternate program certificate under this section is valid for up to three school years, contingent on the annual submission by the district of evidence from the educational program that the teacher or special services provider for whom the alternate program certificate was granted continues to be enrolled in and is making satisfactory yearly progress on the individualized education program set out in the application and can complete the program not later than three years after the date of the application for an alternate program certificate under this section.(e) An alternate program certificate issued under this section is valid only in the district to which it is granted. The duration of an alternate program certificate may not be extended beyond three school years.Eff. 9/29/2005, Register 175; am 3/24/2007, Register 181; am 10/26/2022, Register 244, January 2023The subject matter of 4 AAC 12.340 was formerly located at 4 AAC 12.027. The history note for 4 AAC 12.340 does not reflect the history of the earlier section.
Authority:AS 14.07.060
AS 14.20.020
AS 14.30.250