Special Education Teacher

Special Education Teacher Location: Utqiaġvik (Barrow), Alaska 

Compensation: $64,723 – $91,983 per year, based on education and experience (B – M+36) 

Schedule: 191-day contract, full-time, FLSA exempt 

OUR CLIENT 

Our client is a public school district serving the communities of Alaska's North Slope, from Utqiaġvik to remote village schools across the Arctic. Over the past five years, the district has gone from one of the lowest-performing in the state to outpacing Alaska in student growth. This is life above the Arctic Circle: long, dark winters, travel by small plane, and experiences you won't find anywhere else. The district hires for disposition first. It wants calm, solutions-focused people who are ready to commit to the community for the long term.

WHAT YOU'LL DO 

The district is hiring a certified special education teacher to join its middle school team in Utqiaġvik right away. You will serve students with a range of disabilities and gifted and talented learners. You will adapt instruction to each student and work closely with families, general education staff, and paraprofessionals in a culturally responsive setting.

• Provide individualized, research-based instruction that fits each student's learning style, pace, and needs
• Plan and lead ESER/IEP meetings and implement each student's IEP
• Collaborate with general education teachers and paraprofessionals to create inclusive opportunities
• Complete special education paperwork on time in a web-based system, following state and federal law
• Coordinate referrals, diagnostic testing, and behavioral documentation and share results with staff and parents
• Schedule and collaborate with related-service providers - Supervise and train special education aides
• Maintain confidential student files and build strong relationships with students, families, and the community

QUALIFICATIONS Required: 

• Bachelor's degree in education
• Alaska Teacher Certificate with a Special Education endorsement, or eligible to obtain one

Preferred: 

• Master's degree
• 3+ years of teaching experience
• Experience with students with intensive needs
• Experience with visual impairment and braille
• Iñupiaq language, history, and culture experience

The Right Fit: 

You are calm under pressure, flexible, and bring solutions, not just problems. You have researched life in a remote Arctic community (or already live in rural Alaska) and are ready to commit for at least two years. Alaska-based candidates and those who have lived here before are strongly encouraged to apply.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS 

Teachers in the district are part of a collective bargaining unit. Occasional travel within and outside the district on small commuter planes. District housing availability and cost for teaching staff. Finalists may be invited to visit the community before an offer, so they (and their families) can see daily life in the Arctic firsthand. Final candidates will complete reference checks, a PeopleAK background check, and the district's own background check.

BENEFITS OVERVIEW 

• Subsidized, furnished district housing, assigned for you (bed, dresser, couch, chairs, dining set, and usually a microwave).
• Rent is based on the number of bedrooms you request, so there's no need to ship furniture or search for a place.
• Flat-rate utilities: the same monthly cost in every season
• Competitive health insurance with low premiums and affordable family coverage
• Medical travel benefit: about 80% reimbursement for a set number of flights per year to Anchorage for care not available locally, including a ticket for a parent accompanying a child
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with free and discounted legal and financial services Leave that grows with years of service to the district Spouses and partners often find work quickly with the local hospital, college, and borough, which all offer strong benefits.

Families who enjoy band, football, basketball, and time at home do well here. Subsistence hunting is possible with the right community permissions.

How This Search Works

This search is led by PeopleAK on behalf of the hiring organization. We manage every step from first conversation to offer — no black holes, no ghosting. You'll know where you stand.

Want to put your best foot forward? PeopleAK offers resume support, CliftonStrengths assessment, and interview prep. Explore career services.

Ready? Let's talk.

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