The Ontario College of Teachers – serving the public interest

By

Michael Salvatori, OCT,  CEO and Registrar

What is at the heart of the public interest within the context of education in Ontario? Our students. Their safety, welfare and opportunities for learning. The Ontario College of Teachers protects that public interest in a number of ways through the regulation of Ontario’s teaching profession:

In short, the College:

  • sets the standard for great teaching
  • approves the programs that people take to become teachers and to remain current throughout their careers
  • licenses teachers who meet Ontario’s high expectations for certification
  • investigates complaints against those who cross professional boundaries.

Established in 1997, the College enables teachers to self-regulate and govern the teaching profession in the public interest. By law, every teacher who works in a publicly funded school or school system in the province must be a member of the Ontario College of Teachers. As an official record keeper, we maintain a public registry of every teacher who has been certified to teach in a publicly funded school in Ontario. Best of all, you can see it at any time.

By going to www.oct.ca > Find a Teacher, you can see where your child’s teacher received their teacher education, what additional programs or specialist qualifications they’ve acquired, and whether they’re in good standing with the College. You will see why we can all take great pride in teacher professionalism in Ontario. In those rare cases, where College members have faced disciplinary action or who have limitations on their teaching certificates, we record that information too. It’s all part of protecting the public interest – in other words, your children, their welfare and learning opportunities.

Visit our web site to learn about the Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession (care, trust, integrity and respect) and to see the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession to see how teachers’ good work is inspired and guided.

Ontario is the only Canadian province that enables its teachers to self-regulate. Within Ontario, we are one of about 40 self-regulating organizations that govern professionals such as doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers and early childhood educators. Governing almost 239,000 members makes us one of the largest such bodies in Ontario.

Our work is open and accessible. You can attend one of our quarterly Council meetings where 37 people – 14 appointed by the provincial government and 23 elected by members of the profession – set direction and policy for the organization and provide advice to the government. Attend our annual meeting or take part in one of our many surveys online. As well, we publish all our decisions online for easy viewing.

In 2014 the College took on the leadership role of helping to create and guide the implementation of the enhanced teacher education program at Ontario universities. Working with the Ministry of Education and the Faculties of Education, we’re helping to shape the enhanced, four-semester program that comes into effect on September 1, 2015.

The enhanced program will provide:

–          more time for practice teaching (80 days minimum, up from 40)

–          greater focus on students’ mental health and well-being, parent engagement and communication, and special education among other core elements

–          greater attention to diversity in Ontario classrooms and knowledge of the Ontario context, and

–          a greater understanding about how to teach with technology.

We know that students benefit from great teaching and the excellent preparation of teachers. We also know that teachers benefit from well-informed and involved parents.  Please visit our web site at www.oct.ca to learn more about how the Ontario College of Teachers sets the standard for great teaching.

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