Changes to College Council

Council Chair Maria Vasanelli, OCT, decided to leave her position on College Council, effective May 16, 2025, to focus on other governance opportunities.

Maria has been a member of Council since the introduction of our new governance model in February 2022. Her governance expertise and education experience were vital to the success of our transition and throughout her time as a Council member and as part of the Audit and Finance Subcommittee.

Maria thanked her Council colleagues for appointing her as Chair. She also noted that her time with the College has been some of the most rewarding in her governance career.

On behalf of the College, I thank Maria for her leadership and support. I would also like to note my deep appreciation to Maria for her commitment and dedication to protecting Ontario’s more than 2 million students. Her contributions have been significant and relevant. I wish her all the best as she continues her career in education leadership and governance.

I would also like to express my gratitude to Tammy Webster, OCT, who will be stepping in as Acting Chair of Council, in accordance with her role as Chair of the Selection and Nominating Subcommittee and College bylaws, until a new Chair can be appointed. Tammy joined Council in February 2022. She is a registered member of Kitigan Zibi Anishnabeg and serves as an Indigenous education and equity consultant for the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, delivering professional development material and training for teachers, principals, and staff.

Linda Lacroix, OCT/EAO
Registrar and CEO

Help Shape the Future of the Professional Standards

The Ontario College of Teachers is reviewing the Ethical Standards and the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession to inform the development of refreshed standards that will better reflect the teaching profession in Ontario.

The standards articulate the goals and obligations of the profession. They convey a collective vision of professionalism that guides the daily practices of Ontario Certified Teachers (OCTs).

Listening to and learning from OCTs with diverse perspectives and professional experiences is integral to developing new standards that better connect to current teaching practices, educational content, and professional conduct.

Are you interested in shaping the future of the standards?

The College is hosting a writing session August 11-12, 2025, to draft wording that will guide further development of the standards. The commitment involves one day of asynchronous preparation and two days on-site in Toronto, collaborating with OCTs from across the province. Participants will receive financial acknowledgement for contributing their time and expertise and eligible participants will be reimbursed for their travel and accommodation.

If you would like to be considered for this opportunity, please complete the expression of interest form by June 13, 2025. Spaces are limited and efforts will be made to encourage representation of OCTs from across the province.

Supplementary appendix of the 2024 Focus on Teaching report available now

An updated edition of the 2024 Focus on Teaching report has been published on the College website. The new edition includes a supplementary appendix that provides additional data from the survey that was completed by 37,991 OCTs last fall. Once again, thank you to everyone who participated and demonstrated their commitment to informing the future of the teaching profession.

The College is uniquely positioned to provide a data-rich picture of OCTs and their professional experiences. Together, the final report and supplementary appendix provide the College with an extensive understanding of the profession it regulates and can help education system decision makers in their respective roles.

Please Note: All data gathered has been aggregated and anonymized by our research partner, Forum Research. The College is not able to identify individual survey respondents.

Development of the 2025 Focus on Teaching survey is underway. Forum Research has begun outreach to OCTs, as well as key interested groups from the regulatory and education sectors, to convene focus groups. The goal of these collaborative sessions is to gather feedback that will enhance the 2025 survey to better understand the distinctive linguistic, geographic, and demographic characteristics of OCTs and further support effective decision-making. Focus groups will take place from April to June.

Safety in learning environments: A shared responsibility

The College provides guidance to members through professional advisories. As part of our cyclical review process, we are currently reviewing the Professional Advisory on Safety in Learning Environments and we want your input.

As an OCT, you have a legal and professional responsibility to protect the students in your care. This includes identifying and addressing safety risks in and out of the classroom, and planning activities that minimize the potential for harm.

Safety for students and educators begins with awareness, planning, and collaboration.

Creating a culture of safety is a shared responsibility. We invite your input to inform the update of this advisory so that it reflects the current realities of Ontario learning environments.

Reminder: Mathematics Proficiency Test open for registration

Registration is still open for the current testing window of the Mathematics Proficiency Test (MPT), which closes on June 28, 2025. Test sittings are limited and there are currently no additional testing windows scheduled for the summer. If remote sessions are fully booked, consider registering for an in-person session to avoid potentially delaying your certification.

The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) is responsible for developing, facilitating and evaluating the MPT. The College does not have any control over testing windows. Visit mathproficiencytest.ca to learn more.

As of February 1, 2025, passing the MPT is a certification requirement for most College applicants. To confirm whether this requirement applies to you, please visit the MPT page on our website. OCTs who held a general Certificate of Qualification and Registration (CQR) on January 31, 2025, are not required to pass the MPT.

There’s still time to apply for the 2025 Ontario College of Teachers Scholarships

The deadline to apply for the Ontario College of Teachers Scholarship Program is June 30, 2025, at 5 p.m. Teacher candidates who are enrolled in an accredited teacher education program in Ontario can apply to be awarded one of four $1,500 scholarships. Award recipients are chosen based on their academic achievement, their dedication to the highest ideals of teaching and their resilience.

If you know an ideal candidate, let them know they can find more information about each scholarship, including eligibility criteria and how to apply, on our website.

Library services

Are you taking an Additional Qualification (AQ) course this summer? Did you know that the Margaret Wilson Library provides free access to thousands of full-text scholarly and professional articles and publications directly from the library catalogue?

Follow our step-by-step guide or get in touch with the team via library@oct.ca or 437.880.3000 for research support.