Governing Ourselves informs members of legal and regulatory matters affecting the profession. This section provides updates on licensing and qualification requirements, notification of Council resolutions and reports from various Council committees, including reports on accreditation and discipline matters.
Address to Council
Education Minister praises work of College
Ontario Education Minister Leona Dombrowsky praised the Ontario College of Teachers for its work to make access to the profession fair and for enhancing ways for teachers to learn and grow as professionals.
During an address to College Council in December, the Minister highlighted provincial achievements in education, including higher test scores and graduation rates and smaller class sizes.
“The changes you’ve made to the Teachers’ Qualifications Regulation, the first major update for this regulation in 32 years, is groundbreaking,” she said. “This is a result of many years of hard work and advocacy on your part. This is just one example of how the College has responded to changing needs in the teaching profession.
“The College helps educators get the skills and knowledge they need to succeed, whether it is helping them to prepare for the diverse student population they may have in their school community, develop the technological skills they may need to thrive in our classrooms today, provide for the special education needs of students or participate in the development and delivery of interdisciplinary programs,” Dombrowsky said. “By offering a breadth of updated Additional Qualification courses, the College has opened the doors to allow teachers to enhance their professional knowledge and skills.”
Deputy Registrar Joe Jamieson, OCT; College Registrar Michael Salvatori, OCT; Minister of Education Leona Dombrowsky; Council Chair Liz Papadopoulos, OCT; and Council Vice-Chair Ruth Ann Penny, OCT
The Minister also congratulated the College for its “leading edge” fair registration practices.
“You are the only self-regulating body in Ontario to have your own law affecting fairness in registration practices, and that is something to be proud of,” Dombrowsky said. “You have harmonized and simplified registration practices to make our system fairer for teachers.”
By bringing its regulations in line with the Ontario Labour Mobility Act, the College has facilitated labour mobility across Canada and minimized barriers for internationally educated teachers, she said.
The removal of 194 days of Ontario teaching experience for internationally educated teachers is a significant milestone for the College and reflects the evolution of the education system and the professional learning needs of teachers.
Dombrowsky also urged the members of Council to “step up as champions of teachers’ professionalism and speak to the public about the achievements and high standards of your members.
“Your commitment to the teaching profession and the nearly two million students in our system is commendable,” the Minister said. “Our education system is second to none. It pursues and achieves excellence in every aspect of learning and development. We share a common goal to help our students reach their full potential.”
Dombrowsky cited recent PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) scores that placed Ontario’s 15-year-old students among the best readers in the world. She said that 92 per cent met or exceeded PISA’s achievement benchmark in reading. Only Shanghai, as an international jurisdiction, had higher results. Ontario students are also doing well in math and science, she said.
She added that full-day kindergarten is another important initiative to “prepare our youngest learners for future success in school and the workplace.” The success of the program depends on front-line staff, she said. “Teachers and early childhood educators are working together well. These professionals bring distinct and complementary skill sets to inform their work in the classroom.”
Thanking Council for its efforts, Dombrowsky noted, “Some people – certainly not teachers – may not be very familiar with the work you do. But I know, our government knows, certainly our Premier knows how very important the work you do is. We count on you.”
