Professionalism & Transparency

The College regulates the teaching profession in Ontario. We are mandated to protect students and are committed to professionalism and transparency.

Professionalism means ensuring those in the teaching profession are certified, qualified and deserve to teach in Ontario’s publicly-funded schools. It means not resting on our laurels, and continuing to build on the work we’ve already done, while making improvements as needed.

Transparency means making our work open, available and accessible. It means engaging our stakeholders by talking with them instead of at them. It means providing answers using everyday language instead of education terminology.

Professionalism and transparency are part of our character. They work with our mission, vision and values. The following are just a few of those ways.

New Strategic Priorities

In November 2018, Council approved new strategic priorities to guide our work, to:

• strengthen transparency and accountability
• manage risk more strategically
• improve stakeholder engagement.

These priorities work together to support our mission, vision and values.

Independent governance review

In the spirit of continued improvement, we commissioned an independent review of our governance structure and processes by Governance Solutions Inc (GSI). From March to September 2018, GSI observed Council meetings and engaged with various stakeholders, including members of the public, members of the College, current and former Council members, teachers’ federations, school boards, education associations and other regulators.

The comprehensive report produced by GSI listed 37 recommendations and is part of the College’s commitment to greater efficiency and effectiveness. 

Professional Advisory: Supporting Students’ Mental Health

As part of our legislated duties, we educate members through professional advisories. These advisories guide and enhance the professional practice of our members. To ensure we provide relevant and useful advice, we work closely with members, subject matter experts and stakeholders to develop these advisories. They are mailed to our members, profiled in our member magazine and promoted in our member and public newsletters and social media feeds.

This year's advisory, Supporting Students' Mental Health, is intended to help Ontario Certified Teachers support students with mental health concerns. The advisory defines mental health and teachers’ professional responsibilities while providing resources to help both students and teachers.

Brand refresh

In our ongoing effort to better communicate to the public, we underwent a brand refresh in 2018. As a result, our communication materials look cleaner and our language is simpler. We’re also making it easier to navigate our website, as part of our commitment to be more open, available and accessible.

Public protection and ongoing transparency

By the end of 2018, College members and members of the public will have received access to more than 700 discipline decisions on our website involving College members over the past 21 years.

We also continue to provide public access to disciplinary decisions in other ways:

• providing all disciplinary decisions for posting on Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII)
• making copies of Discipline Committee decisions available in the College’s Margaret Wilson Library; members of the public can also request electronic versions of the decisions
• providing full decisions to Quicklaw, one of several professional Canadian legal research services available to service subscribers
• including summaries of Discipline Committee decisions in the College’s official publication, Professionally Speaking, and on the College’s website
• maintaining the online public register, as it also plays an important role in communicating the decisions of our Discipline Committee.

Find a Teacher

Find a Teacher continued to be the most viewed section on the College website, with 8.2 million page views in 2018.

This public register of all our members includes details of their qualifications and credentials, and a notation of every revocation, cancellation and suspension of a Certificate of Qualification and Registration.

OCT Membership App (only available for members)

Our convenient mobile app is available for Apple and Android.

Follow Us on Twitter

@OCT_OEEO provides information about College news, events, teaching resources and more.

Access Us on Facebook

Our Facebook page allows users to:

• participate in polls
• learn about visiting delegations
• read the latest College news
• learn of College job openings
• hear about events, trends and happenings.

YouTube

Our YouTube channel features information on:

• award-winning teachers and how they inspire their students to greatness
• how to register with us
• what happens during a disciplinary hearing
• our advice to teachers on the use of social media
• professional misconduct and student safety
• Indigenous education.

You can also interact with the College on Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

College News

Sign up to receive our public e-newsletter, The Standard, and learn more about:

• our mandate
• teacher qualifications
• how we support high standards in education
• College reports on trends in education
• education legislation.

College members can subscribe to the e-newsletter Your College and You for College news. It provides early access to new developments in the College’s activities and the teaching profession.

Print and Online Versions of Our Magazine

Professionally Speaking, our quarterly magazine for members, is one of public education’s largest circulation magazines in North America. It provides insight into education trends, best practices for teachers and the governance of the teaching profession.

The magazine is available by subscription or free online.

Discover the Data in Annual Reports

The College’s previous annual reports are loaded with information, allowing the public to explore a wide range of statistical information available about Ontario Certified Teachers.