The vision of schooling in Alaska shared by the faculty of the UAF School of Education is of schools that function as an integral part of the community — schools in which children, teachers, school administrators, school counselors, parents, elders and other community members become interdependent. We share the vision that a highly qualified educator is one who not only has a deep understanding of academic and pedagogical knowledge but also has a deep understanding of the cultural, environmental and emotional context of the children for whom they share responsibility with the family and the community. We envision schools in which the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the professional school staff reflect the myriad of students in the community.

Through our programs and professional development courses, we promote the following goals:

1. Increase the number of qualified educators for Alaska's schools by:

• Providing licensure programs at undergraduate and graduate levels
• Providing education programs to place-bound educators in rural Alaska
• Recruiting Alaska Native candidates
• Aligning programs with state and national standards and the candidate proficiencies identified in our conceptual framework

2. Enhance the professional skills of Alaska's K-12 educators by:

• Providing professional development opportunities throughout their careers
• Providing graduate degree programs statewide
• Developing partnerships with public schools

3. Develop and support ongoing systemic educational collaborations with Alaska schools and communities to:

• Respond to the needs and interests of youth, families and communities
• Better serve Alaska's varied populations
• Enhance learning opportunities for individuals with exceptionalities

4. Conduct collaborative research on cross-cultural and multicultural education to provide ongoing support of:

• The quality of Alaska's K-12 schools
• The curriculum of the UAF School of Education
• The preparation of educators who incorporate into the learning environment the varied cultures and languages of Alaska.