Andrea Cottrell holds a BS in Psychology and a BA in English Education from Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO. She earned her M. Ed in Educational Leadership from the University of Alaska Anchorage and has completed extensive coursework in a variety of educational areas including cultural studies, curriculum, website design, assessment, and instructional strategies.

Mrs.  Cottrell has 18 years of experience in education. 16 of those years,  she has been employed with Yukon Koyukuk School District serving as a secondary teacher and administrator at Minto School for nine years, five years as a teacher and administrator of Raven Correspondence School, and two years as the Assistant Superintendent of the district which included direct oversight of the distance education programs along with nine district sites. One year was spent teaching at Kenai Alternative High School with the Kenai Peninsula School District. 

Through experience with the district's distance education programs, Mrs. Cottrell has extensive background and knowledge of on-line curriculums, instruction, distance delivery platforms, technology and administration including budget, policy and public relations. She is a member of a variety of educational associations. Mrs. Cottrell is committed to providing educational choice and expanding distance education opportunities to all students within Alaska. She oversees assessment within the district providing training, oversight and data analysis for all district and state required assessments.