Moving to Alaska (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Barrow: housing, rent, travel)

[MSgirlfornow]

I have been offered a job teaching with the north slope borough school district and am looking for any information on Wainwright, Point Hope, or Atqasuk as I could be teaching at anyone of these schools. I have been looking things up on the internet, but most of what I am finding is nowhere near current. Any help that you could give would be greatly appreciated.

[stiffnecked]

I've lived in Wainwright and did a TDY in Atqasuk. I liked Wainwright the best. People were nice and easy to get along with. Atqasuk I had a much different opinion about. You do realize that both of these places are on the end of the earth? No mall, no WalMart, no Gold Gym, usually no fresh veggies or fruit in the village store or if they do have them you wouldn't want to buy them.

Not trying to be negative cause I'd go work in either place. It's just a whole different lifestyle. If you get stressed you can't just jump in your car and go somewhere. That's cause you won't have a car and there's no where to go....

[megensmom]

This place must be having a heck of a time finding teachers. 2 teachers from our local high school and middle school went to North Slope for teaching jobs and returned last week. I was talking to them and they said that they were totally lied to about the jobs,what they would be paid,and other benfits that they were suppose to be getting. I don't know how they got the jobs. But both teachers left at different times going up and returned within 2 weeks. 1 of them was a gentleman and he said that the place had "issues" and he was single and still wouldn't live there.
I would really really be checking and triple checking this out. Maybe you should try and see if there are any teachers you can talk to about it before you accept. I get the feeling that they were promised a lot and then it didn't come about.

Oh and the one lady said she had a problem with the men. She is pretty attractive and she said they would come and knock on her door,and these were men she didn't know. Wanting to know if she was lonely,her husband was going to fly up next month but didn't have to she left.

[mal_flisk]

I have spent time in a few of the North Slope villages. Nuiqsut was not too weloming, but Atkasuq, Wainwright, Barrow, Pt Hope are all right. Anaktuvuk Pass is great.

[MSgirlfornow]

I was wanting to go to Anatuvuk Pass, that was the job that I had originally applied for It sounds wonderful, but things just didn't pan out. I am trying to research the schools and towns(villages) before I go, I know that its going to be a major change in lifestyle for me, but I'm okay with that. I am more worried about this lying thing, I have heard this more than one time. I will definitely try to look into this before I sign anything. Thanks so much for the help. If anyone else has more information or knows a teacher from there that I could talk to would be wonderful.

[stiffnecked]

Have they offered you a signed contract yet? I've known teachers that worked for the NSBSD in the past and they were happy. It's one of the richest school districts in the State of Alaska so I can't really see why they would be trying to get cheap on people.

As for the amenities and housing they offer I wouldn't expect too much. All of the teachers housing that I have been in was warm, dry and had flush toliets. I didn't see any honey buckets in there housing.

[MSgirlfornow]

They have offered me the job and are getting the paperwork ready for me to sign, I will sign a letter of intention until the send out contracts. You said that you have lived in Wainwright? Can you give me any info on the town? Like what kind of stuff can you get in the store? What stores are available? I am just trying to make sure that I bring the right stuff with me because it is going to cost me an arm and a leg to ship everything from mississippi.

[stiffnecked]

I just went over the NSBSD website and paid particular attention to the employee benefits section. I didn't think it sounded that bad.

As for what to bring. Bring the least you can get by with. It sounds like most everything major except for microwaves, TV's, vacum cleaners, etc. are furnished. I can't give you an exact list as I am pretty much a lite weight traveler.

Me, I'd bring a microwave (I can cook anything in that) small 13"TV, DVD player, laptop and a vacum cleaner(neat freak). Clothes, if your going up in the middle of winter, you need a parka. Shoes, etc.

Shipping. Expensive but we shipped a lot of our stuff via US Mail Parcel Post. Takes a while to get there and it gets treated rough. Double taped and more with good quality boxes.

Grocery buying. You aren't going to be able to buy everything in the village store. When I was there what fresh produce they had cost an arm and half a leg. There are grocery stores in Fairbanks and Anchorage that ship groceries to the North Slope. It's just a matter of finding out which ones. Safeway/Carrs, Fred Meyers, WalMart, Costco and Sams Clubs usually ship. A lot this stuff you'll find out from the other teachers.

Send me a PM and I'll see what else I can come up with......

[pooky123]

Oh and the one lady said she had a problem with the men. She is pretty attractive and she said they would come and knock on her door,and these were men she didn't know. Wanting to know if she was lonely,her husband was going to fly up next month but didn't have to she left

.

I have been looking into Alaska for a while, but as a single woman, would I be crazy to go alone?!?!

[MSgirlfornow]

I have been looking into Alaska for a while, but as a single woman, would I be crazy to go alone?!?!

I hope that your not crazy, because I would be too. And I already have a job lined up in the NSBSD.