Q.Can I contribute to the Ontario
Teacher’s Pension Plan without being a member of the Ontario College of Teachers?
A.Anyone
contributing to the pension plan must be certified to teach in Ontario and, with only a
few exceptions, be a member in good standing of the Ontario College of Teachers. It’s
a good idea to maintain your membership in good standing while you’re on an
employer-approved leave to avoid problems later with your pension eligibility.
The Ontario Teachers’ Federation and its affiliates recommend that you maintain your
membership in good standing in all circumstances to avoid pension problems.
Q.Why can’t the College
forward my transcript, criminal record check or tuberculosis test result to another
institution such as QECO or my school board?
A.Under the
Ontario College of Teachers Act, the College is unable to share this information. All
documents forwarded to the College become property of the College and will not be returned
to the member or shared with third parties.
Q.When are year 2000 membership
fees due?
A.Membership fees
are due by April 15, 2000. You can mail a cheque, which is the easiest way to pay, or pay
by credit card over the telephone. When calling Client Services, please have your
registration number and credit card information readily available. If you decide to pay by
credit card, don’t wait until the last few days, and when calling expect a longer
wait if you call between noon and 2:00. We appreciate your patience.
Q.How will I know if my College
membership fee is being deducted from my pay?
A.For teachers
employed by school boards, the payroll deduction process is already over. We recommend
that teachers check their pay stubs for the last few months to ensure that the $90
membership fee has been deducted. If you don’t find the deduction on a pay stub,
check with your board.
If you just started teaching with a school board in January, you should verify with the
board that your membership fee was automatically deducted.
All teachers whose fees have not been deducted from their pay, are in good standing and
have a valid address will receive an invoice. The invoices will be mailed on February
15th. Only one invoice will be sent and the due date for membership fees is April 15th.
Q.Why does the College publish
reports about teachers stripped of their teaching licences for misconduct? Don’t you
feel this is bad for the image of our profession?
A.The teaching
profession has taken over the responsibility for disciplining our members. Part of the
responsibility of self-regulation is public accountability, and the reports of the
College’s discipline hearings help meet the obligation to inform the public, as other
self-regulating professional bodies do.
The College’s disciplinary hearings are quasi-judicial and are open to the public
like most court proceedings.
