After UAA accreditation loss, state says it will still license graduates from education program

State education officials will allow the University of Alaska Anchorage’s education program to recommend its spring and summer 2019 graduates for teaching licenses despite the institution losing its national accreditation, the Department of Education and Early Development announced Tuesday.

Without accreditation, UAA would not normally be allowed to recommend its graduates for teaching licenses -- making it impossible for aspiring teachers to meet licensing requirements for most teaching jobs in Alaska and elsewhere. The state will make an exception for students completing their programs during Spring 2019 and Summer 2019, the statement said.

Officials said the move was “mindful of current students’ investments” in the program and a temporary step to lessen uncertainty for students close to graduating.

The state education board will meet Feb. 4 to “review the timeline leading to the CAEP decision and the ramifications of the loss of accreditation, as well as to explore the Board’s next steps,” the statement said.

En the statement, Education Commissioner Michael Johnson said the news that UAA, the biggest prepare of teachers in the state, had lost its accreditation by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation “must be taken with the gravest concern.”

[Related: UAA School of Education programs lose accreditation, putting viability of degrees at risk]