Alaska Special Education Recruitment and Retention Resource Manual.

This resource manual is designed to assist Alaska school districts in recruiting and retaining special education teachers. It offers 50 practical suggestions for developing an effective recruitment program, focusing on the processes of gathering information; developing recruiters, materials, and strategies; and screening and interviewing applicants. Sample suggestions include: develop a videotape presentation of the school district and the community, promote the employment opportunities available for spouses, and accept special education student teachers into the school district for their practica and student teaching experiences. Over 100 strategies are then presented for enhancing teacher retention, categorized as: welcoming new staff, collegiality, work control, professional development, achievement and recognition, and resources. Sample teacher retention strategies include: arrange a social function to introduce new staff to the community, provide a network to share ideas, implement teacher assistance teams, provide job rotation options, tell teachers what they are doing "right," and provide access to professional literature. An appendix presents a list of people to contact for specific information. (Contains 13 references.) (JDD)