Registrar’s Message Transcript

Dedication, care and a commitment to professionalism are qualities that exemplify members of the teaching profession. The College strives to demonstrate these qualities in our service to the public interest.

This year’s annual report recognizes the professionalism of our members and the contribution each individual makes to shaping education in Ontario.

The College made progress during the past year on initiatives to improve registration practices and assist internationally educated teachers. We significantly enhanced the preparation of Ontario’s teachers and continued to support them throughout their careers.

The new Additional Qualification (AQ) courses that were available for members in the fall were the most immediate benefit that teachers across the province saw from the Teachers’ Qualifications Review concluded in 2006.

This year, the College moved forward in implementing plans for projects related to the review. Teachers were saying it was time to offer more up-to-date subjects in the AQ catalogue. The College listened, and the results can be seen in new qualifications like mentoring, American Sign Language, and outdoor experiential education and teaching. New courses like leadership in a minority setting and learning through e-learning will certainly be very popular among teachers.

In March, Council approved a professional advisory entitled Extending Professional Knowledge. It explains the role that additional qualifications play in teachers’ efforts to continually improve their skills and knowledge.

The advisory clarifies the additional qualifications system for new teachers and encourages them to make professional learning part of their career planning. It also highlights the many new qualifications that are being introduced as an outcome of the teachers’ qualification review.

For the seventh consecutive year, the College surveyed teachers in their first five years in the profession. The Transition to Teaching study presents an in-depth look at the early careers of teacher education grads of 2002 through 2006.

Our study, made possible by a grant from the Ministry of Education, is part of the College’s efforts to better understand the realities faced by our newest members.

Two stories emerged. The market for French-language teachers is robust. However, growing numbers of English-speaking teachers are underemployed.

Most graduates of French-language teacher education programs and others who can teach French as a second language in English-language school boards continue to have their pick of jobs. Ontario is facing a shortage of French-language educators and both the French and English-language systems have difficulties finding qualified professionals who can teach in French.

But the province’s English-language teacher employment market is highly competitive. There are now roughly 7,000 more certified, qualified teachers entering the profession each year than there are retirement spots to fill.

What it means is that it takes longer to establish a career for new graduates from our Ontario education faculties. And it’s worse for those moving into Ontario to start or resume their teaching careers from elsewhere.

Internationally educated teachers told us they’re waiting years to find full-time work in Ontario schools.

Recognizing this, the College wants to ensure that anyone wanting to become certified as a member of the College does not encounter any obstacle in the process.

In March, I presented a report to College Council that included a series of recommendations to streamline our registration procedures. Changes were drawn from consultations where we met with teachers who were new to Canada. We also talked to education stakeholders, College members and representatives from community organizations who help internationally educated professionals continue their careers in Ontario.

Those consulted said we were doing the right thing, but that there was more we could be doing.

In September, Council approved recommendations like streamlining our certificates to help members apply immediately for teaching positions, whether or not they have to meet further terms, conditions and limitations. We will also remove the requirements to teach successfully for one school year as a condition of permanent certification for teachers educated outside Ontario.

The College made many improvements in its bilingual capacity over the past year in areas such as services to members, information technology and French-language publications. The College’s second French-Language Services Report, released in March, highlights these achievements.

The College continues to improve the French-language capacity of staff in various College departments and the francophone character of our French-language publications in order to reflect the distinct challenges and realities of the Franco-Ontarian education community.

In October, the College’s French-Language Services Department renewed its partnership with the Fédération de la jeunesse franco-ontarienne (FESFO) to establish a province-wide project known as les Journées carrières en éducation to help address the shortage of Francophone teachers in the province.

These careers-in-education days feature activities for French-language secondary school students encouraging them to consider teaching as a career.

The College, in collaboration with various partners such as the Centre franco-ontarien de ressources pédagogiques, concluded a contract with the firm Versacom for the development of a bilingual terminological database. This tool will ensure uniformity in French-language education vocabulary.

The College, through its Finance Committee, adheres to financial objectives to ensure that services are appropriately funded, that fees are maintained at appropriate levels, so that the College’s financial stability is assured through the accumulation of reserves. Our budget process involves a thorough review every year and ample consultation with members of Council before they are required to vote on the proposed budget. By any reasonable standard, our budget and the assumptions upon which it is based are fiscally sound and in the best long-term interests of our members.

Two elected Council members resigned their positions in 2008. Tianna Traviglini-Babic resigned in July and was replaced by Alison Morawek, representing the Elementary position of the English-language Roman Catholic Board.

John Wells resigned in September and was replaced by Tammy Bush, representing the Northwest Ontario Full-time position.

A number of public members concluded their Council terms in 2008. Rollande Lavictoire and Don Watson had served for one year and four years respectively.

Madhu Bhardwaj of Toronto, Monique Châteauvert of Ottawa and Euril Clyde Glasgow of London joined Council during 2008 after being appointed by the provincial government as public representatives. Pauline Smart of Cloyne was reappointed.

In this my last Registrar Report, I do want to express my appreciation to the College Council for their dedication and support and employees for their hard work throughout 2008 in regulating Ontario’s teaching profession in the public interest.