Help for schools

For anything not answered here, email hello@teachpassport.com.

How do we get our current staff list in?

Download the seven-column template, or upload a staff export from Frontline Central, PowerSchool TalentEd Records, Paylocity, Gusto or ADP — CSV or Excel. Columns are mapped automatically; review the preview before anything is added.

What does “verified” mean in TeachPassport?

An administrator recorded what the official lookup showed on a date. TeachPassport does not query the state.

Which states are supported?

Any US state’s teacher certificate lookup works, free, for any teacher. TeachPassport for Schools has deeper, state-specific coverage for twelve states — New York, Florida, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia — where a reviewed rule module drives the path-forward steps and renewal-cycle tracking below. Charter schools see their state’s certification rules for Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York (with the uncertified-teacher allowance), Pennsylvania and South Carolina; the certification requirements panel is Texas only.

Can TeachPassport see inside TEACH, ECOS, or the Florida system?

No.

What do we do when a lookup shows no result?

Record “no matching public result,” then follow the state’s guidance linked on the page. Recheck after that.

Who can see our register?

Only administrators an owner has added to your organization. Each administrator signs in from a link sent to their own confirmed email address. Adding someone doesn’t give them access to any other organization, and it doesn’t pull in anyone else’s staff.

Running more than one school?

One sign-in can hold a role in more than one organization — useful for a charter network or a back-office firm. Each organization keeps its own roster, its own plan, and its own administrators; nothing is ever combined across them. A rail switcher moves between the organizations you administer.

What happens to our data if we cancel?

Cancel any time from your billing page; access continues to the end of the paid period, then editing stops. You can still read and export everything. To have an organization's data deleted, an owner asks from Settings: the organization is deactivated right away, and its data is deleted 30 days later unless a legal hold applies. That request can be cancelled any time before then.

Do you store employee documents or Social Security numbers?

No Social Security numbers. You may attach an optional screenshot of the official lookup result to a verification record. For required training, record the completion facts shown on the certificate; do not upload the certificate.

What does the register record for a fingerprint or background clearance?

The same record pattern as a certification check: which clearance, its status (requested, fingerprinted, cleared, not cleared, or withdrawn), the date, and the source as printed. It never records a background report, a reason, or any screening detail.

What does the register record for an out-of-state discipline check?

The same record pattern as a certification check: how it was checked (directly through the NASDTEC Educator Identification Clearinghouse, through your state agency, or not available), what the response showed (no record found, a record exists, or not checked), the date, and the source as printed. It never records a report, a reason, or any disciplinary detail; when a record exists, the register shows only that fact, never the underlying action.

How is the New York charter allowance calculated?

The lesser of 30% of the teaching staff or five teachers, plus five mathematics, science, computer science, technology or CTE teachers, plus five more, under Education Law §2854(3)(a-1). The count uses the records you entered.

What does TeachPassport know about Florida?

The FDOE Educator Certification Lookup, the five-year Professional Certificate renewal with its six-credit total, including at least one credit on teaching students with disabilities (Florida Educator Certification Renewal Requirements), the annual Youth Mental Health Awareness Training (s. 1012.584, Fla. Stat.) and one-time human trafficking awareness training (s. 1006.481, Fla. Stat.), and the Level 2 background screening through the FDLE/DOE Clearinghouse (Fla. Stat. §1012.32; five-year rescreening under §1012.465). Florida charter schools must employ teachers certified as required by chapter 1012 (Fla. Stat. §1002.33(12)(f)); the register has no separate Florida charter panel.

What does TeachPassport show for Texas organizations?

Open-enrollment charter schools get a panel under Texas Education Code §12.129 that reads staff certificate types recorded from the TEA lookup and flags anyone recorded as special education or bilingual education, since that assignment must be certified under Subchapter B, Chapter 21. Texas school districts get a dated “Texas deadlines” list, with a link to the bill text on each row, for House Bill 2 (89th Legislature, 2025), which phases in a ban on uncertified teachers of record in foundation-curriculum courses. The counts come from your administrators’ records, not a state determination.

What does TeachPassport know about Oklahoma?

The OSDE Educator Search lookup, the five-year Standard Certificate renewal (70 O.S. §6-154.1; OAC 210:20-9-96), three staff trainings on a five-year academic-year cadence (child abuse recognition, bullying prevention, suicide prevention, all Title 70), and the OSBI national criminal history check (70 O.S. §5-142). Oklahoma's charter law leaves certification policy to each charter contract with no fixed statewide rule to show, so there is no Oklahoma charter panel.

What does TeachPassport know about Alabama?

The ALSDE TCERT certificate search, the five-year Professional Educator Certificate renewal with its PLU/CEU options (Ala. Admin. Code r. 290-3-2-.29), the annual Jason Flatt Act suicide-prevention training for certificated staff, and the Alabama Child Protection Act background check. Alabama charter schools get a panel: state law exempts their teachers from certification requirements entirely (Ala. Code §16-6F-9(e)(1)), while keeping the ordinary background-check requirement.

What does TeachPassport know about Georgia?

The GaPSC Certification Lookup, the five-year renewal for a Standard Professional or other renewable certificate with its ten-PLU requirement (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 505-2-.36), the annual suicide-prevention training for certificated personnel, and the Clearance Certificate criminal record check (O.C.G.A. §20-2-211.1). Georgia charter schools get a panel noting that certification may or may not be required, depending on the flexibility set out in that school's own charter.

What does TeachPassport know about Michigan?

The MOECS credential lookup, the five-year renewal for a Standard, Professional or Advanced Professional certificate with its 150-hour professional-learning requirement (Mich. Admin. Code R 390.1129b; R 390.1138), and the fingerprint-based state and FBI criminal history check (MCL 380.1230a). Michigan public school academies get a panel: state law requires certificated teachers on the same terms as any other public school (MCL 380.505), with one narrow, statewide exception for certain 9-12 computer science, mathematics and CTE courses (MCL 380.1233b).

What does TeachPassport know about South Carolina?

The SCDE public educator lookup, the five-year Professional Certificate renewal with its 120-renewal-credit requirement (S.C. Code Regs. 43-55), and the SLED and FBI fingerprint-based criminal history check (S.C. Code Ann. §59-25-115). No South Carolina training mandate is cataloged; only a reporting duty, not a training requirement, was found. South Carolina charter schools get a panel stating the noncertified-teacher allowance: up to 25% for a new charter school, 10% for one converted from an existing public school (S.C. Code Ann. §59-40-50(B)(5)).

What does TeachPassport know about Pennsylvania?

The PDE TIMS public search, the Instructional I and Instructional II certificate levels (22 Pa. Code §§49.82-49.83) with the Act 48 continuing-education requirement of 180 hours every five years, the Act 126 child-abuse recognition and reporting training (at least 3 hours every 5 years), and the Act 34, 151 and 114 clearances. Pennsylvania charter schools get a panel: at least 75% of professional staff must hold appropriate Pennsylvania certification, and a principal or special education teacher never counts toward the 25% uncertified allowance (24 P.S. §17-1724-A).

What does TeachPassport know about Minnesota?

The PELSB Minnesota Educator Lookup, the five-year Tier 4 license renewal with its 125-clock-hour requirement (Minn. R. 8710.7200), and the school hiring authority's background check (Minn. Stat. §123B.03). Minnesota charter schools get a panel: charter schools must employ or contract licensed teachers on the same terms as any other public school (Minn. Stat. §124E.12), with a different, knowledge-based standard for preschool and prekindergarten programs.

What does TeachPassport know about New Jersey?

The NJEdCert public license search, and the criminal history record check (N.J.S.A. §18A:6-7.1). New Jersey's Standard Certificate does not expire, so the register tracks the annual professional-development obligation instead — at least 20 hours a year (N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-3.4) — and the suicide-prevention training required every five years (N.J.S.A. §18A:6-112). New Jersey charter schools get a panel: classroom teachers and professional support staff must hold appropriate New Jersey certification (N.J.S.A. §18A:36A-14), with a two-year compliance window for staff transitioning from a nonpublic school.

What does TeachPassport know about Virginia?

The VDOE active license search, the 10-year license renewal with its 270-professional-development-point requirement (8VAC20-23-110), the child abuse recognition and intervention training required at initial licensure and every renewal (8VAC20-23-40; 8VAC20-23-110), and the Central Criminal Records Exchange fingerprint check (Va. Code §22.1-296.2). Virginia's charter school statute (Va. Code §22.1-212.5 et seq.) leaves teacher employment policy to each charter school's own application rather than setting a statewide certification rule or exemption, so there is no Virginia charter panel.

What is the required-training ledger?

The state trainings a role requires — DASA, child abuse identification, sexual harassment prevention and similar — recorded on the same roster the same way: dated, signed by the administrator, and sourced to a statute or rule. Included at no extra charge.

Does TeachPassport prepare the parent notice letters my state requires?

Three letters. When a staff member’s recorded out-of-field date reaches four consecutive weeks, an administrator can prepare the ESSA notice (20 U.S.C. §6312(e)(1)(B)(ii)); once it reaches thirty days for a Texas record, they can also prepare the Texas notice (Education Code §21.057); and a Florida record can prepare the out-of-field notice §1012.42(2), Fla. Stat., requires, from the day the assignment is recorded. Each one is available in English, in Spanish, or as one letter carrying both — the Spanish text is a translation TeachPassport prepared, labelled for the school to review before sending, with every citation and date identical to the English. The dialog says who each letter covers, who receives it, when to send it, and what else the same rule asks of the school. You confirm the facts, the subject and grade are filled in from the assignment on the record, and you choose whether parents see your Settings contact or the school office and whether the letter names you by name and title or by email address. TeachPassport does not decide whether a letter is legally required for your school and does not send it — the school is responsible for its content and delivery.

Can we share our staff list with our authorizer?

Yes. Settings has an Authorizer access section where you create a dated, read-only link for a named recipient — SUNY Charter Schools Institute, NYSED Charter School Office, a district charter office, NYSAIS, the TEA charter division, or another office you choose. It shows certificate type and status as printed, verification and recheck dates, and who recorded each check, with no certificate numbers or employee email addresses. You choose when to share it, and you can revoke it at any time.

Does the register track registration and renewal cycles, not just certification?

Yes, for New York, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Virginia. Record the registration period start as shown on the official lookup and the hours the teacher reports; the register schedules the recheck.

What is the new-hire checklist?

A fixed onboarding list on each staff member's record: certification verified, fingerprint clearance recorded, required trainings recorded, and I-9, background report, and contract as done, not done, or not applicable, each with a date and who recorded it. It is included for every organization; there is nothing to configure.

What does the register do when a certificate is expired?

It shows the path forward on that staff member's record: what the state requires, who does each step — the teacher, your school, or the state — the official link for each one, and the date each is due. The steps come from TeachPassport's reviewed rules for New York, Florida, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia, and every step names the source it came from. Where a state's reviewed sources do not cover a case, the register says so instead of guessing. Send the path to the teacher and they can mark their own steps done; the step that belongs to the state closes when you record a fresh official check.

Can a teacher see their own record?

If you enter an email address for that employee, you can send them a one-time invitation from their employee record. They see a read-only page of what your register holds — no certificate number — and can confirm it is them, report a mistake for you to review, and choose whether to get their own reminder before their certificate expires. This is optional and free; TeachPassport never adds an email on your behalf, and the invitation grants no access to your register.

Is there a contract or purchase order?

Card only. Invoices come from your billing page, and a W-9 on request.

How do I get help?

Email hello@teachpassport.com. We reply within one business day.