Ontario College of Teachers – 2010 Annual Report

Appealing College Decisions

Registration Appeals Committee and Accreditation Appeal Committee

Registration Appeals Committee

The College licenses more than 12,000 new teachers every year, but not everyone who applies is able to meet the requirements of the Teachers’ Qualifications Regulation, and demonstrate they are sufficiently prepared to teach in Ontario.

To ensure fairness and maintain public confidence in the decisions the Registrar makes concerning teacher certification, unsuccessful applicants may appeal the Registrar’s decision not to grant them an Ontario teaching certificate or a decision to place conditions on their initial certificate.

In 2010, the Registration Appeals Committee considered 15 appeals from appellants who were not granted membership in the College or who had conditions placed on their teaching certificate. Seven of these appeals included an oral presentation.

The Registration Appeals Committee is committed to ensuring that its appeals processes are impartial, fair, and easily understood. In 2010, the committee reviewed and provided feedback for revisions to its Administrative Guidelines for Oral Presentations and to its Rules of Procedure for Hearings. The committee also approved amendments to the Protocol for Withdrawal of Registration Appeals.

As well, committee members participated in training sessions to keep current regarding issues affecting the registration appeals process, including sessions on acceptable documentation requirements for evaluation purposes, how document assessment relates to registration appeals, and the College’s language proficiency requirements.

The committee also reviewed a report containing summary statistics for the 2009 year. The report detailed the number of appeals, the length of time for each appeal, the originating jurisdiction of the appellants, the basis for the appeals, and the appeal outcomes. In addition to recounting the Registration Appeals activities, the report tracked whether appellants have successfully continued on to be certified after their appeal.

Reasons for Denial of Certification Resulting in Appeals Reviewed by the
Registration Appeals Committee

Accreditation Appeal Committee

The role of the Accreditation Appeal Committee is to hear appeal applications from teacher education providers that have been denied accreditation or who have been awarded accreditation with conditions.

The appeal process ensures fairness in the accreditation of pre-service programs and in-service courses in allowing those who appeal to present new information and seek to have the decision reviewed.

There were no appeals in 2010. However, in an effort to remain current in the event of an appeal, the committee members participated in a training session concerning principles for accreditation decision writing.