Ontario College of Teachers – 2010 Annual Report

Public Interest Committee

The College’s legislation, the Ontario College of Teachers Act, was amended in 2006 to create the Public Interest Committee. The legislation determines the committee’s composition, membership and designation of a chair by ministerial appointment.

The Public Interest Committee advises the College Council with respect to the duty of the College to serve and protect the public interest in carrying out the College’s objects. It meets at least four times a year, and as requested by the Chair, Council or the Executive Committee. The committee is also expected to report annually to Council prior to the College’s annual meeting of members.

Raheel Raza was appointed by the Minister of Education in 2009 for a three-year term. Gail Lilley (the chair of the committee) and Anne Secord were first appointed in 2007, and were reappointed for a further three-year term until 2011.

Under the College’s Act, the committee is required to develop a work plan identifying its priorities, proposed projects and activities through the term of Council. The committee may request information from Council to assist it in developing, modifying or implementing its work plan or to provide advice to Council.

The current work plan included four priorities, three of which would require amendments to the College’s Act. They included the following:

• organizational accountability measures
• stays pending an appeal
• reinstatement and variation hearings
• communicating with the public on behalf of the profession.