Paula Bell, director of Educator Background Credentialing, and Lana Hutchinson, deputy director of certification, gave operational guidance aimed at HR staff and preparation providers using the new Louisiana Educator Portal (LEP) and LEC.

Fingerprinting and clear-credential checks: Paula Bell said there are multiple ways to confirm fingerprinting status: the applicant can check Identigo’s website; employers and providers can verify a person's "clear credential" on TeachLouisiana.net; or, when an applicant logs into LEC and clicks Add New Application, the full application menu's presence indicates the CBC has been received and the person is cleared. Bell advised systems to email educatorclearance@la.gov with the fingerprint receipt if no clear credential appears after three weeks.

Statutory and clearance limits: Bell noted that using the "clear credential" for hiring is allowed by state law (referenced on the call as "Louisiana revised statute 17 15 part b") but urged districts to consult legal counsel about relying on the department's clear credential for hiring decisions. She also warned that certain prohibited convictions (referenced in the call as '15 5 87.1 c') and names on the DCFS central registry bar hire by local public boards and nonpublic systems; school systems can request state central registry access at no fee and were given DCFS contact information.

CANS and related checks: In response to a question, LDOE staff confirmed that the CCCBC process does not replace the employer’s responsibility to run a CANS check; CANS is required for employees hired on or after 08/01/2025.

LEP access and common login problems: Hutchinson explained that users need a MILA account and a validated Social Security number to access LEP application features. She described common issues—missing staff IDs, role-selection lists appearing blank, or unvalidated SSNs—and directed HR and data administrators to start with local security coordinators or data administrators and escalate to data system support or the teacher certification help center if needed.

Experience verification form: Hutchinson said many unnecessary denials stem from incomplete or inaccurate imports of employment records; the imported data often lacks title, subject, grade level, role dates, and method of evaluation. She reminded verifying authorities that in-state experience should be verified on the in-state form (out-of-state experience requires a separate attestation) and that authorized HR representatives—not applicants—must sign the completed experience verification form.

Legacy system and records: Hutchinson confirmed Teach LA Live was retired (submission disabled Aug. 11; site retired Sept. 30). The certification and credentialing teams retain the submission history and will provide historical application information on request via the teacher certification help portal.

Operational timing and contacts: Amanda Slaughter reiterated the mentor/resident reporting window (Oct.7–Oct.29; data snapshot Oct.30) and provided the mentorandcontentleaders@la.gov contact for data reviews. Hutchinson and Bell provided additional technical and registry contacts and phone numbers in the chat for case-specific support.

What practitioners should do: Verify SSNs before routing applications, avoid creating duplicate educator accounts, review imported records carefully before signing experience verification forms, and use the teacher certification help portal or scheduled office hours for case-specific troubleshooting.