March 1999

Blue Pages
College bulletins with need-to-know
information for Ontario teachers.

Non-Members Will See Pension Contributions Returned

The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (OTPPB) has sent a communiqué to employers informing them that any teacher who is not a member of the Ontario College of Teachers or working under a Letter of Permission and who has been contributing to the pension plan will have their contributions returned through the pension plan’s reconciliation process later this spring.

To teach in any publicly-funded school in Ontario, teachers must be members of the Ontario College of Teachers. The OTPPB requires that anyone making contributions to the plan be a member in good standing with the College or possess a Letter of Permission with the appropriate date(s).

"This isn’t a new practice for the board," says Mila Babic, manager of employer information services at the OTPPB. "Non-qualified individuals who have contributed to the plan have always had contributions returned during our reconciliation process. We simply have a better mechanism now of determining who is eligible to contribute to the plan based on data we receive from the College."

Contributions will be returned, minus the matching dollar amount paid by the province, directly to the employer. Contributors who will be affected include teachers who have not registered with the College or have had their membership suspended.

For more information, contact your employer’s human resources department or the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board.

College’s Evaluation Services Gets New Manager

Linda Genesi-Williams is the College’s new manager of evaluation services. Genesi-Williams comes to the College from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto where, since 1985, she served as assistant registrar of the Additional Qualifications (AQ) unit.

Genesi-Williams now oversees a unit of 10 staff responsible for evaluating membership applications from teachers trained outside Ontario. The unit also evaluates applications for AQ equivalencies, reassessment of Basic Qualifications, conversions of interim certificates to permanent certificates and extensions of interim certificates.

"I have had a very positive and close relationship with College of Teachers’ staff since they opened their doors and I look forward to an exciting career at the College. I will also continue to liaise with faculties of education and the teaching federations to ensure consistent and fair evaluation policies regarding teacher education and professional development," said Genesi-Williams.

Barbara Robinson, who was manager of the unit on an interim basis, is retiring. Robinson was part of the original College of Teachers Implementation Committee and stayed on with the College as manager of registration appeals. When the College needed a full-time manager for its evaluation services unit, Robinson stepped in.

"Barbara brought infectious enthusiasm, good humour and expertise to every task she took on. We will miss not only her knowledge and willingness to take on new challenges, but her capacity for real grace under pressure," said College Registrar Margaret Wilson.

Annual General Meeting of Members on May 29

The annual general meeting of the Ontario College of Teachers will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 29 in the College’s Council chamber.

To ensure adequate seating, please contact Charlie Morrison no later than Tuesday, May 25 to reserve your place.

Telephone (416) 961-8800 ext. 628 or toll-free in Ontario at 1-888-534-2222 ext. 628 or e-mail outreach@oct.ca. The College is located at 121 Bloor Street East, 6th floor, Toronto.

 Fees Due April 15

Annual membership fees are due on April 15 this year.

College members who do not pay their membership fee through payroll deduction should be aware that only one invoice will be issued in 1999. Reminders and second notices will not be sent.

If the College does not receive payment by April 15, members who have been sent an invoice will be suspended for non-payment of fees, which means they will not be permitted to teach in any publicly-funded school in Ontario. Teachers who miss the April 15 deadline must pay a $100 reinstatement fee plus the annual membership fee.

While the majority of College members pay their fees by payroll deduction, more than 30,000 teachers are issued an invoice each year. The College is working to streamline the fee process so 1999 Certificates of Qualification can be issued earlier in the year.

If you have moved and not notified the College, contact Membership Services immediately at (416) 961-8800 ext. 330 or 1-888-534-2222 ext. 330 toll-free in Ontario to arrange payment. The College bylaws require all members to notify the College of a change of address within 30 days of moving.

If you are retiring, but plan to return to teaching on an occasional or contract basis, you must renew your 1999 membership, otherwise you will not be permitted to teach.

College Survey

The College will send questionnaires to 800 members in February to gauge the types of professional learning activities that members feel are applicable to classroom practice.

The survey will help the College determine what forms of professional learning are helpful and identify the professional learning needs and resources of members.

The questionnaire was created with the help of researchers from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. The Institute for Social Research at York University will complete the implementation and data gathering of the survey.

Discipline Panel Decisions

Panels of the College Discipline Committee have ordered summaries of five recent disciplinary cases to be published in Professionally Speaking.

Member: Frank Ernest Musico
Decision: Certificates of Registration and Qualification Revoked

A panel of the College’s Discipline Committee held a public hearing on November 26 concerning allegations of professional misconduct against Frank Ernest Musico of Sudbury. Musico, 59, is a former music director and music consultant at the Sudbury District Roman Catholic Separate School Board. He received his teaching certificate in 1961.

Musico chose not to attend or be represented at the hearing, but signed an agreed statement of facts that was presented to the panel at the hearing.

The allegations of professional misconduct against Musico included failing to maintain the standards of the profession, abusing a student physically, sexually, verbally, psychologically or emotionally and engaging in conduct that would be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional.

The discipline panel heard that between 1971 and 1978, Musico abused two female students enrolled at the school where he taught. The students babysat his children on occasions. They were 11 and 12 at the time the abuse started.

The panel also heard that Musico was convicted of exposing himself in public in the summer of 1977 and failed to advise his employers of the conviction.

In September 1994, Musico was charged under the Criminal Code with six sex-related offences concerning the two female students. He was convicted of five charges in December 1996. The convictions include two counts of sexual intercourse with a previously-chaste female under 16 years old and over 14 years old, two counts of indecent assault and one count of gross indecency. Musico was sentenced to 30 months in jail and 30 months of probation following his jail term. Musico resigned from the Sudbury District Roman Catholic Separate School Board in November 1994.

The panel found Musico guilty of professional misconduct and ordered his Certificates of Registration and Qualification revoked. The decision of the panel will appear on the College’s public register.

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Member: Mark Anthony Paul Gauthier
Decision: Certificates of Registration and Qualification Revoked

A panel of the College’s Discipline Committee held a hearing on January 19 on allegations of professional misconduct against Mark Anthony Paul Gauthier of Windsor. Gauthier, 53, was certified as a teacher in 1968 and taught for over 25 years. He was dismissed by the Windsor Roman Catholic Separate School Board in March 1995.

Gauthier is incarcerated and was not represented at the hearing. He signed a statement of facts and agreed to have his Certificates of Registration and Qualification revoked.

The allegations of professional misconduct against Gauthier included failing to maintain the standards of the profession, abusing a student physically, sexually, verbally, psychologically or emotionally, contravening a law which may cause a student under his supervision to be or remain at risk and engaging in conduct that would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional.

The discipline panel received evidence that Gauthier was charged in 1993 with nine counts of indecent assault, sexual assault and sexual exploitation involving students and former students in his Grades 5 and 6 class.

Gauthier was convicted in criminal court in March 1995 of two counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault. He started serving a sentence of two years less a day on July 21, 1997.

The College’s discipline panel found Gauthier guilty of professional misconduct and ordered his Certificates of Registration and Qualification revoked. The decision will appear on the College’s public register.

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Member: Buryl Leroy Wilson
Decision: Certificates of Registration and Qualification Cancelled

The College’s Discipline Committee resumed a hearing on January 19 into allegations of professional misconduct against Buryl Leroy Wilson of London. The College had earlier agreed to postpone the hearing to allow the member to appeal a criminal conviction and sentence. The appeal has now been heard.

Wilson , 55, taught in Huron County Board of Education schools and was certified as a teacher in 1967.

Wilson’s resignation and cancellation of his Certificates of Registration and Qualification will appear on the College’s register. The former English teacher signed an agreed statement of facts.

He was convicted on December 5, 1989 of communication with a male over the age of 18 for the purposes of prostitution. He was also convicted in 1996 of gross indecency and procuring or attempting to procure sexual services of persons under the age of 18.

The former teacher showed his Grade 10 English class three inappropriate videotaped movies containing extensive profanity, gratuitous and explicit violence, sexuality and nudity. The movies had no educational value, were not part of any described curriculum and were contrary to school and departmental policy.

The panel of the Discipline Committee has ordered a notice to appear on the public register that Wilson has resigned in the course of professional misconduct proceedings.

The three-member panel that heard the following case ordered publication of the findings of the hearing in the public interest. The panel also ordered the name of the member withheld, given the circumstances of the case.

The College’s Discipline Committee held a hearing on January 18 concerning allegations of professional misconduct against a 30-year veteran teacher. The former Toronto teacher attended the hearing and submitted an agreed statement of facts acknowledging his actions.

The allegations of professional misconduct against the teacher included failing to maintain the standards of the profession, contravening a law that has cause or may cause a student under his supervision to be put at risk, committing an act or omission that would reasonably be regarded by members of the profession as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional and engaging in conduct unbecoming a member.

The panel heard evidence that the teacher developed an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old former student. He was charged on September 12, 1997 with sexual exploitation and sexual assault. He retired from his teaching position September 30, 1997.

The teacher was found guilty of sexual assault in criminal court but received a conditional discharge and 24 months probation. The charge of sexual exploitation was withdrawn.

The discipline panel found the teacher guilty of professional misconduct and accepted his resignation on the condition that he never apply for reinstatement with the College of Teachers. Failure to comply with this condition will result in publication of the member’s name in Professionally Speaking. The decision of the panel will appear on the College’s public register.

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The three-member panel that heard the following case ordered publication of the findings of the hearing in the public interest. The panel also ordered that the name of the member not be published.

The College’s Discipline Committee held a hearing on January 19 into allegations of professional misconduct against a former principal. The veteran Sault Ste. Marie Board of Education teacher was certified to teach in 1960. He did not attend the hearing, but signed an agreed statement of facts acknowledging his actions.

Allegations of professional misconduct against the teacher included failing to maintain the standards of the profession, abusing a student physically, sexually, verbally, psychologically or emotionally, committing an act that would reasonably be regarded by the profession as disgraceful, dishonourable and unprofessional and engaging in conduct unbecoming a member.

The panel heard evidence that the teacher was charged in 1991 with sexual assault and touching for a sexual purpose a young person over whom he was in a position of trust or authority. He was found guilty of the second charge in 1994 and sentenced to four months in prison.

The discipline panel found the teacher guilty of professional misconduct and ordered his Certificates of Registration and Qualification revoked. The decision of the panel will appear on the College’s public register.