Ontario College of Teachers – 2010 Annual Report

Registrar’s Message

A love for teaching, the motivation to improve practice and a commitment to student learning characterize teachers’ passion for ongoing learning.

The theme of this year’s annual report, Equipping Teachers for the 21st century, profiles teachers who are as committed to learning as they are to teaching. They want to better understand students with special needs and how to develop modifications and accommodations to support them. They acquire strategies to help our new Canadian students who are learning English as a second or additional language. They extend their knowledge on how to create inclusive classrooms that value and welcome the diversity we enjoy in Ontario classrooms.

Teachers are taking College-accredited Additional Qualification (AQ) courses in record numbers as they strive to continually improve the knowledge and skills they need to help students learn, grow and thrive.

The College is committed to encouraging accessibility to these AQ courses because of the value they offer to our members. That’s why this year we continue to make progress in updating these courses to ensure they reflect the needs of today’s classrooms.

Highlights of the College’s work in 2010 also include our research on teacher supply and demand, our work in teacher certification, and our support to members throughout their careers.

Transition to Teaching study

In June, for the ninth 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 new members from 2005 through 2009.

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. Growing numbers of English-language teachers are underemployed and the market for French-language teachers is less robust than in the past. The rate of first-year regular job success for French-language teachers fell for the first time in six years – to 51 per cent from 72 per cent the previous year.

The province’s English-language teacher employment market is highly competitive. There are now roughly 7,000 more certified teachers entering the profession each year than there are retirement spots to fill. The job situation is particularly acute for new teachers qualified in the Primary-Junior divisions.

Across the province, Ontario’s new teachers are increasingly relying on occasional teaching assignments as their introduction to the teaching profession.

Teacher qualifications

As part of our extensive review of teacher qualifications, the College has streamlined certificates and reduced the number of certificates we issue from six to two. Consolidating them simplifies the certification process and minimizes barriers, particularly for applicants from outside Ontario. For example, applicants from outside of Ontario no longer need 194 days of Ontario teaching experience before they can receive a permanent certificate of qualification.

As part of the College’s efforts to facilitate certification, we have extended our online application system to allow applicants from all over the world to complete and submit an application to become an Ontario Certified Teacher electronically. Applicants are now able to initiate and complete their applications over a period of time and save their information following each visit. One of the greatest benefits of the online application is applicants’ access to the status of their applications 24/7. This initiative completes our transition of all College’s membership applications to a web-based format.

The College membership reached 230,122 members in good standing in 2010, an increase of 5,638 members compared to 2009.

The College has developed or revised 123 courses on a wide range of subjects over the last two years. Teachers can now take AQs in areas such as mentoring, American Sign Language, outdoor experiential education and inclusive education. We want to have courses that are pertinent and reflect what the teaching profession needs in the 21st century.

College’s new address

The College has moved to a new, permanent home in 2010.

The College purchased eight floors in a building located at 101 Bloor Street West, one block west of Bay in downtown Toronto. We are centrally located to provide easy access by public transit for members and staff, and in close proximity to stakeholders, government and education partners.

Improving the environmental footprint of the new building is a high priority for us. Energy efficiency is a key feature of the new building that dovetails with the College’s commitment to environmental responsibility. The College is seeking LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification – a green building rating system – for our new home.

We want our new building to be smarter and greener, while reducing energy and water consumption as well as operating costs.

Financial and Human Resources

For 2010 the College budget was set at $32,841,000 with an anticipated deficit of $543,000. The final deficit was $841,000 reflecting the writeoff of $418,000 of leasehold improvements at 121 Bloor East. Overall, the College tracked very close to the budget and the overall variance represents less than three per cent of the total budget including the one time leasehold write-off.

The College staff complement of 168 continues to strive for excellence in all areas of its work. The increased number of staff members with proficiency in both English and French has contributed to significant improvements to our services to members in areas such as Client Services and our French-language publications. The College’s French-language services report highlights these achievements.

We continue to improve the French-language capacity of staff in various College departments and our French-language publications in order to reflect the challenges, realities and distinct nature of our diverse French-language education community in Ontario.

College Council

Elected Council member Rebecca Coulter replaced Peter Joong as the Faculties of Education representative on Council in March 2010.

Public member Gabrielle Blais concluded her Council term in June 2010 after five years of service. Public member Anne Marie Levesque passed away in July 2010 after having served Council for nearly six years. The provincial government appointed public representatives Marie-Louise Chartrand of Ottawa and Robert Gagné of Toronto to replace these members.

Monique Châteauvert (Ottawa), Garry Humphreys (Peterborough) and Susan Robertson (Oakville) were reappointed as public representatives.

The public interest, the welfare of Ontario students and the quality of their learning experiences are well served by the dedication of our College council to their governance role, and I would like to express my appreciation to them for their commitment. I also extend my appreciation and congratulations to our College staff for their work in regulating the Ontario teaching profession with determination and enthusiasm. Their example continues to motivate and inspire me in my own work.