September 30: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation honours the children who never returned from the residential school system, its survivors, their communities and the families who continue to live with the enduring trauma.

September 30 is also Orange Shirt Day. The orange shirt is a symbol of the forced assimilation of Indigenous children and a reminder that every child matters. This day is inspired by the story of Phyllis Jack Webstad, whose clothing – including a new orange shirt – was taken from her during her first day of residential schooling. Her clothing was never returned.

The establishment of a National Day for Truth & Reconciliation is a response to the 94 calls to action issued by the final report of Canada’s Truth & Reconciliation Commission.

Genuine truth and reconciliation are vital to the country’s future, and the College is deeply committed to doing what we can to support the implementation of other calls to action in the spirit of peace, friendship and mutual respect.

Learn more about Indigenous cultures, history and the ongoing impact of residential schools with resources from the Margaret Wilson Library.

You’re invited to our Annual Meeting of Members on
October 23

The College’s Annual Meeting of Members will be held on Wednesday October 23 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The online meeting is open to College members, applicants, interested education partners, and members of the public. College leadership, including Registrar and CEO Linda Lacroix, OCT/EAO, and Council Chair Diana Miles will provide updates on how the College operations serve the public interest by protecting the safety and well-being of Ontario students.

The meeting will be hosted on Zoom with simultaneous French and English interpretation and optional closed captioning. The meeting will conclude with a Q&A session. Questions can be submitted in advance when you fill out your registration form. Registrants will receive a Zoom link one week before the meeting.

Shape the future: have your say in the Focus on Teaching survey

Please complete the Focus on Teaching survey that was distributed to all Ontario Certified Teachers (OCTs) in good standing on Monday, September 23. The survey will close at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, November 4.

OCTs can access the survey by following the instructions in an email sent to them by Forum Research Inc. For questions about your survey link, please email FOTS@forumresearch.com.

Your participation will help in:

• Addressing the teacher shortage in Ontario's schools
• Supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion in the profession
• Enhancing career opportunities for OCTs
• Understanding and improving the professional experiences of your peers

Focus group insights from OCTs

To create a survey that truly reflects the profession, we gathered diverse insights from OCTs through focus groups held over the summer. These discussions highlighted three key themes expressed by OCTs:

• The impactful role of teachers
• Concerns about the perceived decline of the teaching profession’s its declining status and impact
• A strong desire for meaningful change.

Participants from diverse backgrounds valued the College’s focus group sessions for offering their feedback on the survey.

Here is what was shared with us:

“The team effort to improve the clarity of the survey questions was beneficial because it involved key stakeholders, including teachers. Their participation in designing and crafting the questions was essential for fostering a culture of active listening and continuous improvement.”

– Amel Lebkiri, OCT

Focus on Teaching is uniquely positioned to serve as a voice of the profession because it is the only survey that is available to all OCTs, regardless of where they work or live.

Your feedback is vital for strengthening the profession and ensuring safe, supportive learning environments for Ontario’s 2 million students.

Thank you for making the time and for being a part of this important initiative.

Your professional standards

The College is revising the Ethical Standards and the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession.

These are the core elements of the current professional standards:

Ethical Standards

• Care
• Trust
• Integrity
• Respect

Standards of Practice

• Professional Knowledge
• Professional Practice
• Commitment to Students and Student Learning
• Ongoing Professional Learning
• Leadership in Learning Communities

As you reflect on your experiences from the first month of the school year and over the summer, consider how these experiences align with our profession’s standards.

Have you taken courses or explored resources that enhance your professional practice? Maybe you connected with someone who sparked new ideas for deepening your commitment to student learning.

What do you think needs to be updated for the professional standards to have increased relevance as the foundation of teaching practice and professional conduct in Ontario?

Get ready to make your voice heard and help keep our standards as dynamic as your role in teaching!

Stay tuned for more updates.

Now Open: Register for the Mathematics Proficiency Test

Registration for the Mathematic Proficiency Test (MPT) opened at mathproficiencytest.ca in September, 2024. Please refer to that website for the latest information.

The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) is responsible for developing, facilitating and evaluating the MPT.

Ontario Certified Teachers who hold a general Certificate of Qualification and Registration (CQR) as of January 1, 2025, are not required to pass the MPT.

Satisfying the MPT requirement varies from group to group as follows:

Ontario Applicants

Ontario applicants who submit a complete application for a general CQR to the College before February 1, 2025, will not be required to pass the MPT.

Ontario applicants who submit a complete application for a general CQR on or after February 1, 2025, will be required to pass the MPT.

Transitional Certificates and Multi-Session Transitional Certificates

Applicants are not required to pass the MPT to be eligible for a Transitional Certificate (TCQR) or a Multi-Session Transitional Certificate (MTCQR). However, they may be required to pass the MPT depending on the date the certificate is converted to a general CQR.

OCTs who currently hold or are granted a TCQR or MTCQR and convert it to a CQR before February 1, 2025, will not be required to pass the MPT.

OCTs who currently hold or are granted a TCQR or MTCQR and do not convert it to a CQR before February 1, 2025, will be required to pass the MPT before they can convert their certificate.

Internationally Educated Teachers

Internationally educated teacher applicants who submit a complete application to the College for a general CQR on or after February 1, 2025, must successfully pass the MPT within two years of being granted their initial certification by the College or their certificate will expire. This applies whether or not the application was started before February 1, 2025.

Any questions?

More information about the MPT requirement is available on the College website.