Frequently Asked Questions

Maddie Ardoin (mgardoin@lpssonline.com) in Employee Services can assist with all certification questions.

You will first need to complete a "Certification Evaluation Add-on or Evaluation" application in LEP and have it added to your certificate before salary can be adjusted. Once the application is approved you will receive a confirmation email from the state and this needs to be forwarded to Employee Services.

If you are fully certified (not a temporary certificate) in another state, then you should qualify for either an Out-of-State or Professional Level certificate. You will need to complete an "Out-of-State - Standard" application in LEP. If you are not yet employed, they will issue you an eligibility letter that will show what areas you qualify to be certified in.

Yes, but certificated professional are given priority when filling job vacancies.

Required 

• Principal Recommendation for position
• Bachelor's Degree

Click here to view LDOEs approved Praxis chart. Find the content area that you are want to certify in and any that are highlighted in blue are currently accepted.

Click here to be taken to a list of all current add-on options. Find the area that you are wanting to add and click the link to view the self evaluation page. This page will list everything required (Praxis, courses, etc.) needed for the application.

You are able to view your certificate at any time by visiting teachlouisiana.net. You'll click "Verify a Certificate or Teaching Authorization" and then search by either your name or certificate number.

All full-time employees get paid on the last working day of the month according to the Teacher calendar.  This means November and December payroll tends to fall prior to these school breaks.

If you are a full-time employee receiving supplemental pay or a substitute employee, you will typically get paid on the 12th of the month.  There are months that the payroll cycle may fall between the 11th and 13th depending on the weekend.

If you have questions regarding the sports you are being paid for, you can contact Nicholas Jeffers for verification.  If the information they have is accurate according to your sport(s), you can contact Sheila Guillot in Employee Services for clarification.

If you have questions regarding the band or choir assignments you are being paid for, you can contact Paget Guidry for verification.  If the information is accurate there, you can contact Sheila Guillot in Employee Services for clarification.

As a new employee to LPSS, you have 90 days to turn in your prior years of experience verification forms in order for the pay to be backdated to the date of hire.  If years of experience are turned in after the 90 day mark, the verified years will be added to your salary going forward.

Questions regarding the accuracy of your salary or contract(s) should be directed to Sheila Guillot.

Steps are accumulated in July of each year, but please note that if you are a school based employee you will not see the change until your September payroll.

You can send an updated L4 and/or W4 to Sheila Guillot in Employee Services.  These forms can be found under Forms & Applications or in Google.

• You will receive your regular payroll checks through the month of August if you resign on the last day of your associated work calendar. 
• You will continue to receive insurance benefits until the end of August.
• If you are not planning on returning to your position the following school year, we encourage you to submit your Voluntary Separation Form as soon as possible.  This will help ensure our students have the proper support on the first day of school.

• Days will typically renew in July of each year.
• Any unused sick days will roll into accumulated sick leave.
• Any unused personal days will roll into accumulated sick leave.
• 244 day employees are allowed to carry over up to 10 annual leave days per year. These days will remain in the employee’s annual leave bank.

The employee uses days available under their current sick leave, up to a maximum of 10 days. One of those days must be the day of the funeral. Bereavement leave is granted for immediate family. Those family members that are deemed immediate family are: the husband, wife, children, mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandchildren, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, sister, brother or a person living and being cared for under the same roof as that of the employee.

• LPSS allows 6 weeks under a natural delivery and 8 weeks under a c-section for maternity leave. All paid leave (current sick, accumulated sick, personal days, annual leave) must be used prior to being eligible for Extended Medical Leave (EML). An employee on EML shall be paid sixty-five percent (65%) of their salary. Employees are offered up to 30-days of EML within the 6 or 8 week period. The employee must have no remaining paid leave for the utilization of EML.
• Eligible employees that meet FMLA standards (www.dol.gov) are also eligible for up to 12 weeks of un-paid, job-protected leave per year. Employees that are eligible may request additional un-paid time off up to the 12 week maximum. FMLA runs concurrent with maternity leave (it starts on the day of delivery). Holidays are not counted against an employee’s FMLA leave entitlement unless the employee was otherwise scheduled to work on those days.
• Paternity leave – LPSS offers paternity leave to employees. The employee is able to use available paid leave (current sick, accumulated sick, personal days, annual leave) up to a 2-week maximum.

• You will be required to fill out a Sick Leave Packet
• The packet needs to be hand delivered to the Employee Services Department.

The EARSS Operator at Central Office, Shelley Laviolette.

The EARSS Operator at Central Office, Shelley Laviolette.

The EARSS Administrator at your site location.

The EARSS Administrator at your site location can submit your absence for you.  It is mandatory that you send a copy of the summons and pay slip to Employee Services, Natosha Dartez.

Teachers of record for K–3 DIBELS, grades 3–12 LEAP-tested subjects (Math, ELA, Science, Social Studies), and ELPT teachers with at least 10 students are eligible. Certified special education teachers and school administrators are also included.

Teachers must be certified in the DIBELS or LEAP course they are teaching and remain in that same position through their last contracted day. A teacher could earn up to $1,800 annually, depending on the number of classes.

These are based on student achievement or growth using one of the following data pieces: VAM scores, DIBELS results, or LEAP results.

Teachers teaching a LEAP/DIBELS course and certified in that course at the following schools are eligible for a $2,000 stipend: 

• Acadian Middle School
• Evangeline Elementary
• Northside High School
• Carencro Bob Lilly Elementary
• Lafayette Elementary
• Paul Breaux Middle School 
• Carencro Middle School 
• Live Oak Elementary
• Westside Elementary

Assignment incentives will be paid in June. Performance incentives will be paid after test results are released. For example, performance stipends for VAM would be paid after the state releases the results in the following academic year. Playoff incentives will be paid after the respective season ends.

Teachers must be hired and teaching by October 1 and have no more than 10 absences in the school year. The superintendent has full discretion over extenuating circumstances.

Yes. Certified special education teachers teaching special education classes receive a $1,500 incentive, with no minimum student count required.

Yes. Principals can earn $3,000, and assistant principals $2,000 for improving or maintaining school performance scores (SPS).

Yes. The stipends included in the new incentive pay plan are in addition to any existing stipends educators already receive. This means teachers can continue to earn their current stipends and qualify for extra pay based on student growth and extracurricular contributions.

The LPSS Incentive Pay Plan is a result of the UL Teacher Retention Survey which highlighted two priorities: 

• Competitive base pay
• Meaningful performance incentives

The state's new accountability system places greater weight on students' performance in core subjects. We recognize that everyone at the school level contributes in some way to the growth of our students and will continue to fine tune the compensation package. The teacher incentive plan will be evaluated every year to ensure that it addresses the same components of the state accountability plan. The 2025-26 version roll out represents a giant leap in the right direction for our teachers.

LPSS has taken deliberate steps to maximize budget efficiency:

• $1.5 million in Central Office staffing cuts
• $2.7 million saved through strategic school staffing
• $3.5 million in district-wide optimization savings

These savings help fund both the salary increases and the incentive plan. While challenges remain—particularly within the self-funded insurance program—the Board is working closely

For more details, contact:

Alex Melton
Director of District Progress and Compliance
aemelton@lpssonline.com