Jackson, Miss. — The Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education Certification and Licensure and Development heard a live demonstration Friday of a newly launched Educator Talent Portal that Mississippi Department of Education staff said will help districts post openings and manage applicants statewide.

The portal, built by Level Data, lets anyone search job postings without logging in and allows applicants to apply, keep track of applications and message talent managers; districts and other authorized users can create and draft positions, update statuses and communicate with candidates, presenters said.

"We are here from Level Data to demonstrate the educator talent portal now that it has launched," Level Data senior customer success manager Shalena Clark told commissioners during the May 2 meeting. Clark and two Level Data colleagues showed the commission how applicants can search by keyword, location and grade level and how talent managers can invite candidates and change position statuses.

Mississippi Department of Education staff said the portal is a free, voluntary resource for local education agencies. "It's a resource that is at no cost to the local educational agency, and so, it's free of charge," MDE staff member Dr. William Murphy told the commission, adding the department will send communications about the portal to districts "today or either top of next week."

MDE staff described several user roles inside the system: applicants, talent managers, educator preparation providers and educator workforce specialists. The department said it employs four educator workforce specialists—one in each congressional district—who can capture candidate contacts and help guide applicants through licensure steps.

Commissioners asked whether the portal requires districts to change existing application systems; MDE staff said districts will be able to link to their own application pages or use the portal's application features, and that use of the portal is optional. "They're giving them control," Dr. Murphy said when describing how districts can either link to their own application process or use the portal's embedded application.

MDE staff also mentioned related items: registration for the Elevate Teachers Conference is live and the conference will be held at Delta State University at no cost to teachers. The department said it expects to return with connections between the portal and other MDE systems after additional portals launch.

The demonstration took place during the commission's regular meeting in Jackson. Commissioners did not take a vote on the portal demonstration; the presentation concluded with questions and no formal action.

The commission meets next in July 2025.