Ware the Slope

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Alaska Teachers Chatboard

Ware the Slope

by Bushed

Dec 13, 2008

I appreciate the previous poster's positive approach but having been a Bush teacher for half a dozen years, teachers have a responsibility to alert each other to unhealthy and/or dangerous locations and situations. The North Slope district raised its starting wage to 50k, the primary motivation being the high turnover ratio. I have personal knowledge of some of the personnel involved, and while there are definitely advantages to Bush teaching (which is why I will never teach in a city) the North Slope district has some serious problems. I've been reluctant to disclose some of this dirty laundry--I am happy, creative and well paid in my current district, and have no axe to grind. But here are some elements that every teacher should consider before working for the North Slope district--first, do some background work on who you'll be working for--the superintendant. He was elected for a four year term as super of ed in the lower 48, and quit halfway through his term. When a teacher quits ...See MoreI appreciate the previous poster's positive approach but having been a Bush teacher for half a dozen years, teachers have a responsibility to alert each other to unhealthy and/or dangerous locations and situations. The North Slope district raised its starting wage to 50k, the primary motivation being the high turnover ratio. I have personal knowledge of some of the personnel involved, and while there are definitely advantages to Bush teaching (which is why I will never teach in a city) the North Slope district has some serious problems. I've been reluctant to disclose some of this dirty laundry--I am happy, creative and well paid in my current district, and have no axe to grind. But here are some elements that every teacher should consider before working for the North Slope district--first, do some background work on who you'll be working for--the superintendant. He was elected for a four year term as super of ed in the lower 48, and quit halfway through his term. When a teacher quits before their contract is up, they are sanctioned by the AK department of ed. This person was rewarded by being hired by the North Slope district. His wife is the head of the technology dept; I don't know her salary but it's not small. And judging from teachers' comments, she may not be qualified for the job. This form of patronage has had a negative impact on the staff and children. Teachers in the remoter villages suffer from poor moral because of the money being spent on the district in Barrow, including the football team. The team is a great idea but the funding and increased staff attention are at the expense of the villages. Some villages on the slope are, at this time, unhealthy and dangerous places. A partial list includes threats in school and parents banging on teachers' doors. Don't believe me? Talk to a teacher up there. Some villages are healthy, but the entire system is buyer beware. Some positions are great, but some will result in incidents and perceptions that have been posted on this site. Bottom line, do your homework before you take a teaching position anywhere in Alaska. The North Slope district currently has some unhealthy dynamics. Two clear indicators are the lack of knowledge and interest in filling teaching positions; there is no excuse because personnel are out "traveling"--Barrow is a large district with more than enough people to maintain awareness of current teaching vacancies and return phone calls in a professional manner. The other indicator is to look on the AK state dept of ed employment listings; the North Slope district has been averaging one teaching position every 10 days. This indicates serious turnover and should be a warning flag to prospective teachers to proceed with caution. Teaching in the Bush can be the best but it can also be a nightmare. I apologize for some of the personal remarks here but the last couple posts have glossed over some of the information that teachers have a right to know.

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