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College Council meeting updates
March 3 meeting
At a special meeting on March 3,
College Council reviewed a report from
the Selection and Nominating
Subcommittee (SNS) and approved the
recommended subcommittee member
appointments for two-year terms
beginning March 3, 2025.
Council also approved the SNS’s
recommendations for Chair and
Vice-Chair appointments for both the
Audit and Finance Subcommittee and the
Human Resources Subcommittee, each for
a one-year term starting on March 3,
2025.
March 20 meeting
During the College Council meeting on
March 20, key updates were presented,
including a quarterly report from
Registrar & CEO Linda Lacroix,
OCT/EAO, a report from the
Investigation Committee, and an
executive summary of the
2024 Focus on Teaching survey
that gathered insights into the
professional experiences from nearly
38,000 Ontario Certified Teachers
(OCTs).
Additionally, Council received a
financial report covering the period
ending on December 31, 2024, and also
accepted the December 31, 2024,
audited financial statements of the
Ontario College of Teachers, as
presented.
Council meetings are livestreamed on
the College’s YouTube channel. Meeting
summaries and related documents are
posted on our website.
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2024 Focus on Teaching report
now available
The
2024 Focus on Teaching report
is now available, featuring insights
from the 37,991 OCTs who completed
the survey. We are grateful to
everyone who demonstrated their
commitment to informing the future of
the teaching profession by
participating.
In case you missed it, the
executive summary
was shared in last month’s issue of
Your College and You.
The
2024 Focus on Teaching survey
was designed to gather data about the
teaching workforce and the profession,
including data related to employment,
demographics, equity, diversity and
inclusion, career progression and
labour mobility.
In addition to the survey findings,
the final report includes selected
extracts of aggregated and anonymized
College registration data to provide a
more complete picture of Ontario’s
teaching profession. Together, this
data will help inform education system
leaders to make decisions that
strengthen the profession — and, in
turn, benefit every student in every
classroom across Ontario.
On April 30, the College will release an updated version of the 2024 Focus on Teaching report that will include a supplementary appendix to provide even more data from our 2024 survey.
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.
2025 Focus on Teaching survey
development is already underway, with
focus group sessions being planned
from May to July. We will have more
information soon on how OCTs can get
involved, so stay tuned!
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Nine professional advisories to support you
The College has nine professional advisories that provide valuable direction about issues that matter to OCTs and practical advice to help you navigate legal, ethical, and professional standards in your practice.
These advisories aim to:
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Prevent misconduct by identifying legal and ethical parameters that govern educators' behaviour.
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Respond to the needs of OCTs to understand aspects of their professional practice governed by policies and legislation.
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Provide practical advice for teachers at all career stages about important and timely topics.
Advisories apply to all College members, including teachers, consultants, vice-principals, principals, supervisory officers and directors of education. You are encouraged to consult the advisories when you need guidance with respect to your professional practice.
Which advisory have you referenced most recently?
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Did you know? You have a legal Duty to
Report
As an OCT, you are required by law to
report any concerns you have about a
child’s safety or well-being to your
local child welfare agency.
Under the
Child, Youth and Family Services
Act, 2017 (CYFSA), any OCT who suspects that a child
is experiencing or might be at risk of
experiencing abuse or neglect has a
professional obligation to report.
This includes teachers, consultants,
vice-principals, principals,
supervisory officers, directors of
education and those working in
non-school-board positions. Failure to
do so could result in disciplinary
action from the College.
The College’s
Duty to Report Professional
Advisory
is a resource to support you in
fulfilling your obligations under the
CYFSA. It outlines your
professional responsibilities, signs
of potential neglect to look for, and
additional advice for OCTs.
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Mathematics Proficiency Test open for
registration
As of February 1, 2025, passing the
Mathematics Proficiency Test (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.
The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) is responsible for developing, facilitating and evaluating the MPT. Registration is now open, and test sittings are limited. The current testing window closes on June 28, 2025. There are no additional testing windows scheduled for the summer. If remote sessions are fully booked, registering for an in-person session is recommended to avoid potential delays in certification.
Please Note: The College does
not have any control over the testing
window, and currently scheduled dates
are subject to change. Visit
mathproficiencytest.ca
to learn more.
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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Reminder: 2025 Ontario College of
Teachers Scholarship applications are
open
Applications are still being accepted
for the Ontario College of Teachers
Scholarship Program. The deadline to
apply is June 30, 2025, at 5 p.m.
The scholarship program is open to
teacher candidates who are enrolled in
an accredited teacher education
program in Ontario. Four $1,500
scholarships are awarded to teacher
candidates for 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.
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See what Ontario Certified Teachers
are reading
Curious about the books and ebooks
that shaped the practise of OCTs in
2024?
Explore the Margaret Wilson Library’s
list of the year’s most popular books
and ebooks! These resources helped
OCTs stay current on key topics and
areas of interest like:
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Infusing joy into teaching by
integrating wellness, justice and
purpose to support students in
building identity and critical
thinking skills.
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Research-backed strategies and
structured writing activities
to help students of all ages
strengthen their ability to express
ideas clearly and effectively.
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Setting clear expectations to optimize learning and the learning environment.
Discover the titles resonating with
members and driving professional
growth – available at the Margaret
Wilson Library.
How?
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Log 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 channel of
the library page, click on Most popular books and ebooks
2024.
Explore the Margaret Wilson Library’s FAQs
for tips and tricks to navigate the
library’s online services.
Still have questions? Contact the
library team by email at
library@oct.ca
or 1.833.966.5588.
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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.
Nicholas John Janna,
#530280
Revocation,
reprimand
– A Discipline Committee panel revoked the teaching certificate of Nicholas John Janna for sexually abusing a student and engaging in a pattern of grooming behaviour. Janna’s misconduct included giving a student gifts and engaging in a personal relationship with her, which included inappropriate physical, verbal and electronic interactions of a personal and sexual nature through text messages, email, and platforms such as Google Docs and Pinterest, as well as meeting in Janna’s office at the school.
Read more.
Marc Stephen Barrett,
#637100
Suspension, reprimand,
conditions
– A Discipline Committee
panel suspended the teaching
certificate of Marc Stephen
Barrett for engaging in
inappropriate behaviour by
being in possession of illegal
drugs on two occasions.
Read more.
Edward William Matar,
#258768
Suspension, reprimand,
conditions, costs
– A Discipline Committee panel suspended the teaching certificate of Edward William Matar for failing to adequately control and maintain an appropriate learning environment in two classes. He also acted in a disrespectful and confrontational manner towards students, including by throwing chalk in the classroom and by making disparaging and abusive remarks about students and their school. Examples of Matar’s remarks to students in his classes included calling a student the “Queen of Sheba.” He also called a student “racist” and said, “for a very small girl, you have a big mouth” (or words to that effect), and told students that the school should be a community centre (or words to that effect).
Read more.
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