Ontario College of Teachers
Highlights of the 1999 Annual Report
The College is the self-governing body
of the Ontario teaching profession. It was created by and operates under the Ontario
College of Teachers Act and is governed by its Council, 17 College members elected by
their fellow teachers and 14 members of the public appointed by the provincial government.
The College of Teachers had a very eventful 1999. While the government's announcement
of its proposal for a program of teacher testing was the focus of much of the public
discussion about teaching in Ontario, the profession itself took a number of very
important steps in the continuing development of a structure of self-government that
encourages and recognizes teachers' continuing commitment to a high level of
professionalism.
One of these significant developments was the final approval of the Standards of
Practice for the Teaching Profession. Another was the approval in principle of the Ethical
Standards for the Teaching Profession, which - like the standards of practice - were
developed through extensive research and a wide-ranging consultation.
These standards have become key components of the pre-service teacher education
programs at faculties of education who are preparing the next generation of teachers for
the challenges of education in the 21st century. Work by teacher candidates at universities all across the province has
reflected understanding and commitment to the standards and led to some insightful
contributions to the College's refinement of the standards.
The College's initiatives have placed Ontario at the forefront of the world-wide
movement to develop standards-based systems to provide and promote quality assurance
within the profession.
The College launched an intensive research program on quality assurance within teaching
and other professions early in 1999 after Premier Mike Harris announced the government's
proposal for a teacher testing program. When the government referred this issue to the
College later in the year for consultation and recommendations, this research was shared
with education stakeholders and interested members of the College and the public.
A wide range of educators - classroom teachers, administrators and academics - have
been involved in and supported the continuing accreditation reviews of pre-service teacher
education programs at Ontario universities.
The College of Teachers now requires faculties of education, as part of these reviews,
to demonstrate how the standards of practice have been integrated into their programs.
Three more faculties received their initial accreditation in 1999 - York, Windsor and both
the French and English-language programs at the University of Ottawa.
Through the year, enhanced services for members included a new on-line catalogue to
make the College library's holdings available to members outside Toronto, significant
improvements in answering phone calls from more members more quickly, and faster
turnaround for applicants for certification.
College membership rose to 174,470 - 1,963 more than in 1998. Expenses were on budget,
while revenues of $17.8 million were higher than expected due to higher than forecast
membership. This additional revenue allowed the College to establish a $2 million Reserve
for Fee Stabilization to help maintain membership fees at the current level as long as
possible.
There were five changes to the College Council's membership in 1999. Michel Gravelle,
the Northern Ontario secondary system representative, was replaced by Sudbury Secondary
School teacher Sterling Campbell. Ernie Checkeris, chair of the Rainbow District School
Board in Sudbury, Patrick J. Daly, chair of the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District
School Board, Larry Mongeon of Sarnia and Allen Pearson, dean of the University of Western
Ontario Faculty of Education were appointed by Order-In-Council to replace four public
members - Nicholas Myrhorod of Toronto, Jim Sherlock of Burlington, Anthony Saldanha of
Mississauga and Stan Shapson, dean of the York University Faculty of Education - who left
Council at the end of their appointments.
The Executive Committee
The committee reviews reports and motions from other committees and
makes recommendations to Council on matters brought forward by those committees. In
accordance with the Ontario College of Teachers Act, the Executive Committee is also
actively involved in a wide array of ongoing College issues.
Committee Activities
The Executive Committee met nine times in 1999 and originated several
policies and guidelines concerning the operation and conduct of members of Council and
committees of Council, including:
- clarification of the role of the Standards of Practice and Education Committee, most
notably that the committee continue to assume a lead role in the development of ethical
standards
- recommendation of language for amending Regulation 72/97 to permit Council to establish
a roster of persons, who are not members of the Fitness to Practise and/or Discipline
Committees, to be appointed to panels of these committees
- approval of procedures for in-camera sessions when dealing with the appointment of
special investigators or reporting on the results of investigations and interim
suspensions
- a proposal for guidelines for the professional development and training for Council
members
- approval of a process for filling committee vacancies and appointing committee chairs.
Several appointments were made in 1999 to fill vacancies created by resignations or
completion of appointed members' terms. In November, nine members of Council were
appointed to an Ad Hoc Committee of the Executive Committee to report on the issues raised
in a letter from the Minister of Education to the Chair of Council regarding teacher
testing and re-certification.
The committee also dealt with a referral from Council to study and report on the
transfer of authority of Letters of Permission from the Ministry of Education to the
College. After reviewing a number of options, the Executive Committee adopted wording for
legislative and regulatory changes to enable the transfer of authority.
Like Council, the Executive Committee may direct the Fitness to Practise and Discipline
Committees to hold hearings to determine allegations made with regard to the conduct,
incompetence or incapacity of a member. It may also appoint special investigators under
section 36 of the Ontario College of Teachers Act or approve a request for an
interim order to suspend a member under Section 29 of the Act. Two such interim orders
were approved in 1999.
The Discipline Committee
The Discipline Committee rules on any allegation of incompetence or
professional misconduct on the part of a College member as defined in Regulation 437/97,
made under the Ontario College of Teachers Act. Complaints are referred to the committee
by the Investigation Committee, the Council or the Executive Committee. Decisions are
based on evidence placed before the committee in a hearing which is normally open to the
public.
Committee Activities
The members of the committee participated in a two-day training session on
decision making and writing reasons for the decisions, and a one-day workshop on dealing
with secondary trauma. The committee also spent a half-day reviewing and discussing issues
around conducting a hearing and appropriate methods of dealing with procedural and other
difficulties.
Panels of the Discipline Committee held 26 hearings, involving a total of 52 days.
| Summary of the Dispositions |
| Revocation |
12 |
| Suspension |
4 |
| Withdrawn* |
1 |
| Not Guilty |
3 |
| Condition |
3 |
| Resignation and undertaking** |
3 |
| Hearings continuing into 2000 |
3 |
| * Charges withdrawn after the
certificate was revoked by the Fitness to Practise Committee |
| ** Permitted to resign with
signed undertaking never to teach again |
|
The
Investigation Committee
The Investigation Committee has the mandate to receive and investigate
complaints against members of the College about professional misconduct, incompetence or
incapacity. The committee must refuse to investigate if it holds the opinion that the
complaint is outside its jurisdiction or is frivolous, vexatious or an abuse of process.
The committee helps the College fulfill its duty to serve and protect the public interest.
Members of the public, members of the College, the Minister of Education and the
Registrar of the College may make complaints. A formal complaint must be in writing and
filed with the Registrar.
When the investigation is completed, members of the committee, sitting in panels of at
least three, can:
- dismiss a complaint
- refer a matter to the Discipline Committee or the Fitness to Practise Committee
- caution or admonish a member
- take any action it considers appropriate that is consistent with the governing
legislation.
Committee Activities
Panels of the committee met 11 times and considered 97 complaints. Almost 32 per
cent of the complaints were referred to the Discipline Committee or the Fitness to
Practise Committee. The committee held three business meetings, considering such matters
as legal opinions, procedures, motions proposed to Council and training for committee
members.
The committee has developed a dispute resolution program to provide complainants and
members with alternatives to the formal hearing process. The implementation of the program
is focusing on the use of neutral mediation of complaints. The committee is responsible
for approving all proposed mediated resolutions to ensure the public's interest.
Nature of
Complaints1 |
Percentage |
Received in 1999 |
| Professional Misconduct |
92.0 |
| Abuse - Emotional |
12.8 |
| Abuse - Physical |
4.3 |
| Abuse - Psychological |
1.0 |
| Abuse - Sexual |
13.8 |
| Abuse - Verbal |
7.2 |
| Act/Omission (dishonourable,
disgraceful, unprofessional) |
10.6 |
| Conduct unbecoming |
11.9 |
| Contravention of law - suitability to hold
certificate |
1.0 |
| Failing to comply with Child & Family
Services Act |
1.9 |
| Failing to comply with Education Act |
3.4 |
| Failing to comply with Ontario College of
Teachers Act |
0.5 |
| Failing to keep required records |
1.9 |
| Failing to supervise adequately a person under
one's professional supervision |
4.3 |
| False information/documents re qualifications |
0.5 |
| Inappropriate divulging of student information |
6.7 |
| Non-maintenance of standards of the profession |
5.8 |
| Practising while in conflict of interest |
1.0 |
| Signing or issuing false/misleading documents |
3.4 |
| Incompetence |
7.1 |
| Disregard for welfare of student |
1.9 |
| Lack of judgement |
2.4 |
| Lack of knowledge |
1.4 |
| Lack of skill |
1.4 |
| Incapacity |
0.9 |
| Mental condition |
0.9 |
|
| Total |
100 |
Total Investigation Files Disposed of in 19992:
97
1 A complaint may contain more than one allegation
2 Of the 97 complaints disposed of, four were originally
filed in 1997, 60 were originally filed in 1998 and 33 were filed in 1999. |
|
Origin of Complaints in 1999 |
Number |
Percentage |
| Registrar's complaints including school
board notification |
36 |
27.7 |
Members of College |
12 |
9.2 |
| Members of public |
– |
63.1 |
Parents
|
72 |
– |
Students
|
5 |
– |
Other
|
5 |
– |
|
| Total |
130 |
100 |
Disposition of Complaints |
Number |
Percentage |
| Outside
jurisdiction/frivolous, vexatious or abuse of process under clause 26(2)(a) or (b) |
29 |
29.9 |
| Referred to Discipline
Committee under clause 26(5)(a) |
27 |
27.8 |
| Referred to Fitness to Practise
Committee under clause 26(5)(a) |
4 |
4.1 |
| Not referred under clause
26(5)(b) |
31 |
32.0 |
| Cautioned under subsection
26(5)(c) |
3 |
3.1 |
| Resolved through dispute
resolution under subsection 26(5)(d) |
3 |
3.1 |
|
| Total |
97 |
100 |
The
Fitness to Practise Committee
The Fitness to Practise Committee rules on any allegation of incapacity
on the part of a College member. Cases may be referred to the committee by the
Investigation Committee, the Executive Committee or the Council.
When a complaint is referred, the committee holds a hearing to determine whether
physical or mental conditions or disorders exist that make a member unfit to carry out
professional responsibilities. Hearings are not normally open to the public.
If the committee finds a member to be incapacitated, it may:
- direct the Registrar to revoke a certificate
- direct the Registrar to suspend a certificate for up to two years
- direct the Registrar to impose conditions or limitations on a certificate
- impose a suspended penalty, which may be waived if certain terms and conditions are met
in a specified time.
Committee Activities
Committee members participated in a two-day training session on reaching
decisions and writing reasons, and a one-day workshop on dealing with secondary trauma.
The committee arranged for a presentation on incapacity and fitness issues with
representatives of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.
Panels of the Fitness to Practise Committee held three hearings involving six days. In
two cases the College and the member developed an agreed statement of facts and, in one of
those cases, an agreed disposition. The agreed disposition was not accepted by the
committee and that decision is being appealed. In the third case, the member did not
attend and did not make any representations.
The Registration Appeals
Committee
The Registration Appeals Committee is a statutory committee established
to allow applicants who have been denied registration in the Ontario College of Teachers,
or who have had restrictions placed upon their teaching certificate, to appeal those
decisions.
Committee Activities
The committee scheduled meetings based on the number of applications for
review and the date of receipt of those applications. Accordingly, the committee met nine
times in 1999.
In 1999, the committee received 69 applications from individuals who had been denied
membership based on the evaluation of their academic and teacher education credentials and
reviewed 48 of these cases during the year. After reviewing the documentation provided by
the College and applicants, the committee upheld the Registrar's decision in 41 cases and
modified it in three cases. On receipt of additional documentation from applicants, the
committee overturned the Registrar's decision in four cases.
Of the remaining 21 cases, 10 are scheduled to be heard in January 2000 and 10 in
February 2000. One case was determined not to be an appeal and the applicant's fee was
subsequently refunded. The committee also reviewed nine appeals carried over from 1998;
the Registrar's decision was upheld in all nine.
Reasons for denying
membership |
| Reasons |
Number of Cases |
| The undergraduate degree is not
acceptable to the College under Regulation 184/97 |
2 |
| The program presented does not
represent a full year of pedagogical course work dealing exclusively with teacher
education |
38 |
| The teacher education program
was completed by distance education |
6 |
| The teacher education program
does not contain course work that corresponds to two consecutive divisions of the Ontario
curriculum |
6 |
| Neither the degree nor the
teacher education program is acceptable to the College under Regulation 184/97 |
1 |
The Accreditation Committee
The Accreditation Committee reviews and accredits pre-service and
in-service teacher education programs.
Committee Activities
Pre-service Teacher Education
In 1999, accreditation reviews of pre-service programs continued in
phase two of a three-year pilot program. In the early spring of 1999, accreditation panels
conducted reviews at the University of Windsor, the University of Ottawa, the Université
d'Ottawa and York University. Panels were comprised of three members of Council, a member
of the College at large and a member nominated by the faculty under review. Orientation
and training sessions were held for all panel members.
The Accreditation Committee reviewed the panels' reports and recommendations in May
1999 and directed the Registrar to inform each of the faculties of education of the
initial accreditation awards given to their respective pre-service programs. The awards
and executive summaries of the reports became part of the public record and were published
in the September 1999 edition of Professionally Speaking/Pour parler profession.
The process for the accreditation of pre-service teacher education programs was revised
in response to participant feedback and an external evaluation. In September, the
Accreditation Committee approved the third edition of the Initial Accreditation
Handbook, and the companion documents, for use in the third and final round of the
initial accreditation reviews of pre-service teacher education programs.
Sites under review in the third phase include Brock University, Lakehead University,
the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto and the
University of Western Ontario.
In-service Teacher Education
In 1999, the In-service Program Review Subcommittee presented its
final report, which included guidelines for the accreditation of professional learning
programs. On the basis of this report, the Accreditation Committee formed an Additional
Qualification work group and a Principal's Qualification Program work group to look at the
development of an accreditation review process for Regulation 184/97 programs. The
cumulative efforts of these two groups resulted in the publication of a draft guideline
for the accreditation of in-service programs as defined in Regulation 184/97.
All Honour Specialist courses, Additional Basic Qualification courses and Principal's
Qualification Program, Parts I and II offered in the province were reviewed in 1999.
Further feedback on Additional Qualification courses was solicited through Professionally
Speaking/Pour parler profession.
The Standards of
Practice and Education Committee
The Standards of Practice and Education Committee advises Council on the
development of pre-service and in-service standards of practice, ethical standards and a
professional learning framework to support the standards of practice.
Committee Activities
The committee met four times in 1999 and also held a joint meeting with
the Accreditation Committee in November. The work of the committee continued to be
supported through consultation with members of the College and representatives of the
Ontario public.
The Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession, previously approved in
principle by Council, was distributed for validation. The committee initiated a variety of
validation activities to obtain feedback from educators and the public with respect to the
standards of practice statements and the key elements. The data acquired from the
validation activities provided the committee with information used to refine the standards
of practice. In November 1999, the Council approved the Standards of Practice for the
Teaching Profession.
The development of the Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession continued
to be supported through feedback from College members and the public. In 1999 the ethical
standards moved through the early phases of limited, developmental feedback. The committee
made revisions to the preliminary draft which was approved in principle by Council in
November 1999. The Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession validation
process will continue until May 2000.
The committee decided in April 1999 to distribute the document Consultation:
Professional Learning Framework for developmental feedback. The consultation
timeframe was extended by the committee to December 1999. Analysis of the consultation
data is ongoing.
The committee, in conjunction with the Institute for Social Research at York
University, conducted a professional learning survey that was mailed to 870 French and
English-speaking classroom teachers. The questions in the survey were designed to gather
data relating to the formal learning, informal learning and resources available to support
the professional learning of College members. The results of the survey were published in
the 1999 issue of Professionally Speaking/Pour parler profession.
In November 1999, an Additional Qualification survey of 1,230 members of the College
was carried out. This survey was designed to gather data regarding the Principal's
Qualification Program, Additional Basic Qualification programs and the Honour Specialist
courses offered in the first six months of 1999. The survey was designed to provide
information that would assist the College in making decisions that will ensure that these
programs are of high quality.
The Finance Committee
The Finance Committee reviews and reports to the Council on all matters
concerning the financial affairs and position of the College. It determines the guidelines
and principles used in setting budgets, oversees budget preparation and recommends the
annual budget to Council, and tracks the budget approved by Council to ensure compliance
and appropriate reporting. The committee also reviews the interim financial reports and
audited financial statements.
The committee reviews and makes recommendations about proposed annual membership and
other fees. It also reviews investment performance to ensure maximum performance within
the Council's approved guidelines for investments.
As well, the Finance Committee functions as the College's audit committee. It makes
recommendations to Council with respect to the appointment of the auditor and works with
the auditor to establish the annual audit plan.
Committee Activities
The committee met seven times in 1999. At each regular meeting, the latest
monthly financial reports and investment reports were reviewed. After reviewing the
College's 1998 audited financial statements with the auditors, the committee recommended
acceptance that Council accept the statements. It considered guidelines for the 1999
budget process which were accepted by Council at its May meeting and reviewed and
recommended the 2000 budget to Council, which approved the final budget in November.
The committee also worked on long-term financial planning. In November 1999, the
committee reported to Council on the College's financial results for its first three years
and presented projections until 2003.
Other issues the committee addressed during 1999 included the College's initiatives to
deal with Y2K issues, the establishment of a Reserve for Fee Stabilization, and a review
of office and meeting facilities requirements. This last undertaking led to a
recommendation to acquire adjoining space at 121 Bloor Street East while it was available.
Statistics
Membership in the College
(Members in Good Standing only) |
Gender |
Language |
Membership |
% of total Membership |
| Female |
English |
112,841 |
64.5 |
Female |
French |
8,095 |
04.6 |
| % of total membership |
69.2 |
|
Male |
English |
50,516 |
28.9 |
| Male |
French |
2,906 |
01.6 |
| % of total membership |
30.5 |
|
| Unreported |
English |
111 |
0.06 |
| Unreported |
French |
1 |
<.01 |
|
| Total |
174,470 |
– |
| Geographic Distribution |
| By Ontario College of Teachers Election Zone |
Membership |
% of total Membership |
| North |
15,475 |
– |
| Southeast |
29,989 |
– |
Central |
67,882 |
– |
| Southwest |
58,193 |
– |
| Total |
171,539 |
98.3 |
|
| Currently out-of-province |
2,285 |
– |
| Currently out-of-country |
646 |
– |
Total
out-of-province/
out-of-country |
2,931 |
01.6 |
|
| Total
Membership |
174,470 |
– |
| Age Distribution of the College
Membership – 1999 |
| Age
Range |
Male |
% |
Female |
% |
Unreported |
| 20-30 |
5,262 |
3.0 |
18,091 |
10.4 |
91 |
| 31-40 |
12,248 |
7.0 |
29,107 |
16.7 |
14 |
| 41-50 |
14,765 |
8.5 |
35,909 |
20.6 |
7 |
| 51-60 |
19,309 |
11.0 |
34,612 |
19.8 |
0 |
| 60+ |
1,838 |
1.0 |
3,217 |
1.8 |
0 |
|
| Total |
53,422 |
30.5 |
120,936 |
69.3 |
112 |
| Registration Summary |
| Out-of-province and out-of-country evaluations |
| Applicants educated in Canada |
1,162 |
| Applicants educated out-of-country |
1,488 |
| Total out-of-province/out-of-country |
2,650 |
| Ontario new graduates
processed1 |
7,158 |
| Total applications
reviewed |
9,808 |
|
| Letter of Eligibility to Interim Certificate of
Qualification conversions |
1,429 |
| Interim Certificate extensions |
203 |
| Interim Certificate to Certificate of
Qualification conversions |
1,410 |
| Temporary Letters of Approval2 |
555 |
| Appeals |
68 |
| Reassessments |
66 |
| Additional Qualifications processed |
18,828 |
| Additional Qualification equivalents granted |
489 |
|
| Total number of files
processed |
32,856 |
| 1 Includes some 1998
teacher education graduates as well as 1999 graduates. |
| 2 Total applications for
a TLA received by the College in 1999. Applications maybe for the 1999/2000 or the
2000/2001 school year. |
| This data is taken from the Ontario
College of Teachers membership register, the financial records of the College and
Evaluation Services Unit files. |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
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