Alaska Administrative Code
Title 2 - Administration
Chapter 36 - Teachers' Retirement System
Article 2 - Administration of the Defined Benefits Plan (AS 14.25.009 - 14.25.220) and the Defined Contribution Plan (AS 14.25.310 - 14.25.590)
2 AAC 36.193 - Certification of teachers

(a) For purposes of the definition of "teacher" and "member" in AS 14.25.220 and 14.25.590, a person is considered certificated and may remain in the teachers' retirement system if the person provides the administrator with evidence acceptable to the administrator that the person holds a valid teaching certificate issued to the person by the Department of Education and Early Development. Membership in the system is effective the date a valid teaching certificate is in effect. Employers may make contributions to the teachers' retirement system for the first 120 days of the person's employment pending issuance of the certificate. If 120 days have elapsed following the date of the person's employment and the person has not provided the administrator with evidence that the person holds a valid teaching certificate issued by the Department of Education and Early Development, the person's membership in the system will be terminated immediately, contributions will be refunded for that period of ineligible employment after the date of employment, and the corresponding period of ineligible service will be removed from the person's employment history. If the effective date of the certificate is later than the date of hire, contributions will be refunded and the corresponding period of ineligible service will be removed from the person's employment history for the period of ineligible employment from the date of hire to the effective date of certification.

(b) A teacher whose certificate has expired may remain in the teachers' retirement system if the person provides the administrator with evidence acceptable to the administrator that the person holds a valid teaching certificate issued to the person by the Department of Education and Early Development within 120 days of the date of the certificate expiration. If the effective date of renewal is later than the expiration date of the prior certificate, contributions will be refunded and the corresponding period of ineligible service will be removed from the person's employment history for the period of ineligible employment from the expiration date of the prior certificate to the effective date of certificate renewal.

(c) A school district will provide a copy of this regulation to a person hired for a teaching position who does not possess a valid teaching certificate at the time the person is hired and to a person hired for a teaching position whose teaching certificate is expiring within 30 days.