A PROUD MEMBER OF THE TEACHING PROFESSION The profession has made some important promises. What should we do next to ensure that we keep them?

By Joe Atkinson

It is both an honour and a privilege to have been named Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the College of Teachers.

In this, my first column, I want to assure you that I will bring to this position the same enthusiasm, energy and commitment that I have brought to all the other opportunities presented to me by the College, during my time as a staff officer with the teachers’ federation, with the school board, in my teaching and through my community service. The role of Registrar is a challenge that I embrace heartily.

In addition to being a proud member of the teaching profession, I have long been a passionate advocate for its self-regulation. I know that many College members share my conviction that the College of Teachers represents the coming of age of our profession, an opportunity to join the ranks of the other 35 professions in Ontario that already enjoy self-regulatory status.

TIME TO MOVE ON

I am well aware, however, that there are some members of our profession who continue to argue against self-regulation and the establishment of the College.

Well, the time has come to redirect this wasted and debilitating energy of opposition. The profession’s task now is to move ahead, to accept the formidable challenge of regulating and governing ourselves and to do so, as the legislation requires, in the public interest.

It is this concept of "the public interest" – enshrined in our legislative mandates – that directs much of the work of self-regulatory bodies, including the College of Teachers. Cutting through the language of the Ontario College of Teachers Act, the profession really makes three promises to the public in exchange for the privilege of self-regulation.

THREE PROMISES

We have promised members of the public that when they send their children to our schools, they will be taught and supervised by qualified and certified teachers, principals and supervisory officers.

We have promised that each of these individuals will be competent.

And our final promise is perhaps the most important of all. We have said, send us your children and we promise that they will be safe in our charge.

The vast majority of the members of our profession honour and respect these promises. Self-regulation ensures that processes are in place to address situations where members do not.

READ AND REFLECT

On page 20 of this issue of Professionally Speaking, "Sexual Misconduct and the Teaching Profession: the College Prepares Its Response to the Robins Report" deals specifically with issues surrounding our third promise to the public.

Over the next few months, the report and recommendations of Justice Sydney Robins will be the focus of much attention by members of the College and the public alike. This is an important issue that demands our individual and collective attention, and I hope you will take the time to read and reflect upon this article.

Discussing this topic may make many of us uncomfortable. Teachers are no more comfortable addressing sexual misconduct by colleagues than are members of any other profession.

However, we can’t improve our response to this problem if we don’t talk about it. I know this article will stimulate some productive dialogue among College members. I look forward to hearing from you and sharing my thoughts on this and many other professional issues over the next few years.