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A year-end message from the
Registrar
As the calendar year winds down,
Linda Lacroix OCT/EAO, Registrar and
CEO of the Ontario College of
Teachers, reflects on a year of
collaboration with regulatory and
education system partners, progress
on the development of new
professional standards, and
investments that strengthen the
College’s certification processes.
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The 2026 annual membership fee
payment window is now open
If your annual membership fee isn’t
automatically deducted through a
payroll plan, you can pay your $200
tax-deductible fee directly to the
College.
You can pay by:
- credit card on oct.ca
-
online banking (simply add the
Ontario College of Teachers as a
payee)
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cheque or money order sent by mail
to the College’s Toronto office.
The payment portal will be open
until April 15, 2026.
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Engage in professional learning
through case studies from the
Professional Advisory Addressing
Hate and Discrimination
Based on real life examples, the
appendix of case studies that
accompany the
Professional Advisory Addressing
Hate and Discrimination
includes nine case studies designed
to help OCTs work through and
appropriately address acts of hate
and discrimination.
Focus on case study 3: Addressing
microaggressions with a
colleague
Scenario: “My
racialized colleague teaches art. I
told them their talents are wasted
and that they should, instead, be
teaching math because their culture
is known for excelling in math. My
colleague seemed upset by my
comment.”
“Microaggressions are the everyday
verbal, nonverbal, and environmental
slights, snubs, or insults, whether
intentional or unintentional, which
communicate hostile, derogatory, or
negative messages to target persons
based solely upon their marginalized
group membership.”1
Microaggressions must be addressed
as they are discriminatory and can
have a negative impact on those
affected.
What should OCTs do?
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Engage in a respectful and open
conversation with your colleague
to understand their perspective.
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Discuss how your comments
negatively impacted them to avoid
similar issues in the future.
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Offer a sincere apology to your
colleague, acknowledging why the
action was inappropriate and the
impact of your comment.
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Refer to your employer’s policies
or reach out to your school
administrators and your union
representative, if applicable, for
advice on how to navigate this
issue.
Ontario’s curriculum states,
“Ontario’s education system, at all
levels, must respect diversity,
promote inclusive education, and
work towards identifying and
eliminating barriers to equal
treatment in education that limit
the ability of students to learn,
grow, and contribute to society.” As
an OCT, you are expected to act
accordingly.
The
Professional Advisory Addressing
Hate and Discrimination
and case studies are available
online at oct.ca in both PDF and
audio formats.
Each case study is divided into four
parts:
-
Scenario:
Describes a situation based on
real life occurrences, presented
from the point of view of an OCT.
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Address it:
Provides guidance on addressing
the issue professionally.
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Build awareness:
Highlights professional, ethical,
and legal responsibilities.
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Know your role:
Clarifies how an OCT’s actions
reflect professional expectations.
1
Sue, W. (2010). Microaggressions in
everyday life: Race, gender, and
sexual orientation. Hoboken, NJ:
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
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New College website launching soon
The College’s public website,
oct.ca, is our most visited digital
touchpoint, connecting hundreds of
thousands of people each year to
essential information about applying
to the College, professional
learning opportunities, protecting
students and other aspects of our
public interest mandate.
To advance our strategic goals and
uphold our commitments to responsive
client service and transparency, the
College has redeveloped our website
to offer a seamless and intuitive
experience for all users.
Meeting modern accessibility
standards, the site’s enhanced
functionality, streamlined
navigation and updated,
plain-language copy will help you
quickly and easily find what you
need. A new font, updated colour
palette and inclusive imagery
further elevate the user experience.
We look forward to launching the new
site in early 2026.
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Shaping the future of professional
standards — together
The College is refreshing the
Ethical Standards and the
Standards of Practice for the
Teaching Profession
to better reflect the educational
landscape in Ontario today.
These standards are more than words
on a page. They articulate what we
as OCTs value, strive for and how we
show up for students and communities
every day. They are a shared vision
of professionalism that guide OCTs
in their practice and strengthen
public trust.
Revised standards must resonate with
all OCTs, and your voices,
experiences and ideas have guided
this work from the start. Over the
past year, we’ve engaged with
teachers from English, French,
public and Catholic school systems,
as well as First Nation schools and
Provincial School Authorities.
We’ve also heard from parents
and guardians, students and
educational partners.
The message is clear: refreshed
standards need to speak to the
evolving priorities of education in
Ontario. They should be
student-centred, grounded in human
rights, and reflect principles of
equity, diversity, inclusion and
accessibility.
This summer, a writing team of OCTs
began drafting refreshed standards
based on these insights. One team
member shared how they embody these
priorities in their current
practice:
“I advocate for equitable
and sovereignty-affirming
education, mentor emerging
educators, and contribute to
school-wide initiatives that
strengthen community and
learning. I approach my role
with integrity, care, and a deep
sense of responsibility,
recognizing that my work shapes
not only academic outcomes but
also the social and emotional
well-being of students. I commit
to continual reflection, growth,
and action to ensure my practice
aligns with the evolving needs
of my students and the
profession.”
- Rana El Saadi, OCT
This is what the standards are all
about: our shared commitment to
students, to each other and to the
future of education in Ontario.
Together, we’re shaping standards
that reflect who we are and who we
aspire to be.
Would you like to have your say?
Stay tuned for provincial validation
feedback opportunities by reading
Your College and You each
month and checking out the College
website. Your voice matters.
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Reminder: Mathematics Proficiency
Test winter 2026 test window
The Education Quality and
Accountability Office (EQAO) has
announced that the winter test
window for the Mathematics
Proficiency Test (MPT) will run from
Monday, January 12, 2026 to
Saturday, March 21, 2026.
Registration dates have not been
announced.
EQAO is responsible for scheduling,
facilitating, and evaluating the
MPT. Refer to their website at
mathproficiencytest.ca
for the latest information and to
register for a test sitting.
Passing the MPT is a certification
requirement for most College
applicants. To confirm whether this
requirement applies to you, 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.
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Relax with a new book
Looking for something new to read?
The Margaret Wilson Library has
released a new collection of books
and eBooks, ideal for enjoying
during the winter break.
The newest releases feature hands-on
experiences that help students
connect with their world, develop
socio-emotional skills, strengthen
literacy, and more – ideal for
sparking new ideas or refreshing
your perspective.
Plus, did you know that the library
offers a free shipping service for
OCTs? Place a hold and we will ship
it to you.
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Sign into your College account on
oct.ca
under Members.
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On the left navigation pane, click
Library.
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On the right navigation pane of
the library page, click on New at
the library.
Explore our
FAQs
to learn tips and tricks to navigate
the Margaret Wilson Library’s online
services.
Still have questions? Contact the
library team at
library@oct.ca
or 1-833-966-5588.
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Holiday office closure
Please note that the College will
close at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday,
December 24, 2025. We will return to
regular business hours at 8:30 a.m.
on Friday, January 2, 2026.
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Discipline Committee panels
conduct public hearings into
allegations of professional
misconduct and/or
incompetence. Full panel
decisions are posted to the
member’s public register
profile.
Dennis Mauro Buonafede,
#447269
Reprimand,
suspension
– The Discipline Committee
suspended the teaching
certificate of Dennis Mauro
Buonafede for repeatedly
making inappropriate
comments in class and to
colleagues, including
racist, demeaning and
derogatory comments on
topics such as Black Lives
Matter, women, gender,
sexual orientation, and
visible minorities. In its
penalty reasons, the
Committee noted that the
Member resigned from the
College and agreed never to
seek reinstatement of his
Certificate of Qualification
and Registration (CQR).
Buonafede’s remarks about
the Black Lives Matter
movement included saying,
“while George Floyd’s death
was tragic, if Mr. Floyd had
resisted arrest or did
something wrong, then he had
forfeited his right not to
be handcuffed.”
He also said women have an
“expiry date” and “women who
go on to do their
post-secondary education
have fewer options to date
and marry.” He also said,
“the gay lifestyle is not
what humans are intended
for” and “an option for
homosexuals is to engage in
heterosexual relationships.”
Additionally, Buonafede
spent a significant amount
of class time discussing the
upcoming American
presidential election and
sharing pro-Trump videos
with his students.
Read more.
Anthony James Haughton,
#533397
Revocation,
reprimand
– The Discipline Committee
revoked the teaching
certificate of Anthony James
Haughton after finding that
he sexually abused a
student. His misconduct
included engaging in
personal and/or
inappropriate electronic
communications with the
student on social media,
exchanging photographs, and
making suggestive and/or
flirtatious comments.
Haughton’s misconduct
included telling the student
that he would take her out
in 5-10 years and asking her
to answer. He repeatedly
referenced the 5-10 years
comment, and asked the
student not to tell anyone
he had made that comment.
Haughton’s misconduct
included:
-
sending the student
photographs of himself and
receiving photographs from
the student, including
photographs with
suggestive and/or
flirtatious comments;
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complimenting the
student’s appearance,
calling her beautiful and
telling her that she could
be an eye model;
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using the fire emoji in
his messages to the
student, which he admitted
can be used to convey that
someone is attractive or
sexy, which is how the
student interpreted the
emoji;
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telling the student that
he loved her and other
students;
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asking the student if she
deleted the messages they
exchanged;
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telling the student that
he should go to bed before
he got himself in trouble;
and
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attempting to convince the
student to keep his
messages secret so that he
could keep his job.
Read more.
Andreea Octavia Andrei,
#511823
Revocation,
reprimand
– The Discipline Committee
ordered that the teaching
certificate of Andreea
Octavia Andrei be revoked
for engaging in personal and
inappropriate relationships
with two students (Student 1
and Student 2). Andrei’s
relationships with both
students initially revolved
around tutoring and
extracurricular assistance,
gradually progressed to
general mentoring, and then
personal and social
relationships.
After Student 1 turned 18
and remained enrolled at the
school where Andrei taught,
Andrei confessed feelings
for him and propositioned
him over text message. She
said they could engage in
sexual activity while
Andrei’s husband watched.
Andrei also sent Student 1 a
revealing photo of herself.
This inappropriate behaviour
made the student
uncomfortable and he
initially did not want to go
to his graduation. He
ultimately went on the
condition that Andrei have
no contact with him or his
parents.
When Student 2 graduated
from high school and
relocated to a different
city to study at university,
Andrei maintained a personal
relationship with her.
Shortly before the student
turned 18, Andrei and her
husband travelled to visit
her at university and took
her out to dinner, consuming
food and alcohol together.
During dinner, Andrei and
her husband shared details
about their sexual
preferences, including
wanting a threesome, without
specifying it should be with
Student 2. After dinner,
they briefly returned to the
student’s residence, where
Andrei’s husband
complimented her appearance.
No physical contact or
sexual propositions
occurred.
Read more.
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