Meet Tammy Webster, OCT, Acting Chair of Council

On May 16, 2025, Tammy Webster, OCT, became Acting Chair of College Council following the departure of Maria Vasanelli, OCT, to pursue other governance opportunities. Tammy is an educator, an equity leader, and has been a member of Council since February 2022. She is also a member of Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg and the first Indigenous Chair of College Council.

Get to know Tammy below.

What motivated you to join Council?

As a long-standing educator, I know firsthand how policy impacts classrooms and students. I wanted to be a voice for First Nations, educators, and students at the governance level and bring my professional experience to inform governance practices that support College operations.

How would you describe Council’s role in supporting student well-being in Ontario’s education system?

Understanding that Council does not manage operations, its role is to create conditions for effective, transparent and accountable regulation. Council plays a part in setting the strategic vision, ensuring statutory mandates of the Ontario College of Teachers Act and having fiduciary responsibility. Within this capacity, Council sets expectations around equity and reconciliation, as evident in the Strategic Plan, and can proactively respond to emerging needs that protect student well-being.

Can you tell us about your professional journey and your decision to become an Ontario Certified Teacher?

Becoming a teacher was not in the plan. I avoided it for years, as my mom was an elementary teacher and I knew what was involved — marking after hours, report card writing, parent interviews and calls, coaching and worrying about the students. Eventually, I understood that a good teacher can have a lifelong impact, which changes the world. While I didn’t want to change the world, I wanted young people to feel valued and appreciated and that if they wanted to be a part of a different world, they could be.

A teacher can have a profound impact on a student’s life. And if you get to teach them for a second year or build a relationship with their siblings or other family members, the impact of your kindness, thoughtfulness, and consistency ripples. I wanted to be that person.

You are a member of Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg and the first Indigenous Chair of College Council. What does that mean to you?

It’s very hard to put into words what this means. It comes with recognition and inherent responsibility to honour those before me whose educational experiences remind me of what not to do. It is also daunting. Being the “first” can come with unnecessary expectations of what I can or ought to be doing. But I also set the path, direction and metaphorical bar for First Nations who come next. It is also a historic moment, and I am proud, thrilled and ready to step up.

Updates from College Council

March 3 special meeting

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

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.

April 29 special meeting

College Council approved two key appointments based on recommendations from the Selection and Nominating Subcommittee. Both appointees, now actively serving in their roles, are OCTs.

Charles Kouassi, OCT, was appointed as a Council member and began a two-year term on April 29, 2025. Diane Vetter, OCT, began a two-year term as an Accreditation Committee roster member on the same date.

June 12 meeting

On June 12, Tammy Webster, OCT, led her first College Council meeting as Acting Chair.

Key updates were presented, including a quarterly report from Registrar & CEO, Linda Lacroix, OCT/EAO, and the new Professional Advisory, which focuses on addressing hate and discrimination.

Council received a report from the Audit and Finance Subcommittee and approved two recommendations from the subcommittee, which were to 1) approve a request from the Membership Services department for five full-time equivalents and 2) approve the retirement of a College mortgage with BMO-Bank of Montreal.

The Selection and Nominating Subcommittee’s report was received and their recommendations for Council and subcommittee appointments were approved. A report from the Registration Appeals Committee was also presented.

Council meetings are livestreamed on the College’s YouTube channel. Meeting summaries and related documents are posted on our website.

September 30 : National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 30 honours the children who never returned home from the residential school system, the survivors who carry their stories, and the families and communities who continue to live with the intergenerational impacts of that system. 

More than 150,000 children were separated from their families and sent to residential schools that were in operation from 1867 to 1996. 

This national day was established in response to the 94 calls to action issued in the final report of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. As we mark 10 years of that report, it’s a moment to reflect on recent advancements in recognizing and reinforcing Indigenous rights, but also how to preserve them as we continue to move forward. 

At the College, reconciliation is a responsibility we carry with intention, driven by a commitment to remove barriers and address deep-rooted inequities in education. As part of this responsibility, we have been working with community and education partners to develop new leadership pathways that will create additional career progression opportunities for First Nations, Inuit and Métis educators.

Stay tuned for updates in future issues of The Standard.

New Professional Advisory helps OCTs create safe and supportive learning environments for all students

The College recently issued professional advice to OCTs on how to address incidents of hate and discrimination within learning environments.

The Professional Advisory Addressing Hate and Discrimination is available on our website in HTML, PDF and audio formats and includes:

• practical advice for OCTs
• a self-reflective framework
• key elements to examine and address
• guidance for ongoing learning.

The College has also published an accompanying set of case studies based on real life scenarios that provide OCTs with examples of how to work through and respond professionally to acts of hate and discrimination. Additional resources include a Facilitator’s Guide and presentation slides to help school boards, schools, faculties and other education partners engage OCTs in this important work.

The Professional Advisory and case studies were developed in consultation with numerous participants, including OCTs, parents and guardians, students, subject matter experts, pedagogical experts, and education partners and community members.

By continuing to build awareness and understanding of how to address hate and discrimination, OCTs will be better positioned to create safe and supportive learning environments for all students.

The 2025 Focus on Teaching survey has been distributed to Ontario Certified Teachers

The College has renewed its partnership with Forum Research Inc. to develop the latest Focus on Teaching survey that was distributed to all OCTs in good standing last month.

As Ontario’s teaching regulator, the College is uniquely positioned to reach all OCTs, gather their perspectives, and share them – risk-free for OCTs – with key decision-makers in the province’s publicly funded education system.

The survey will help support informed decision-making by gathering data on topics such as:

• teacher supply and factors that contribute to the current shortages
• mobility and willingness to relocate
• demographics and geography
• educational background.

The next Focus on Teaching report will be published on the College website next year.

You’re invited to our Annual Meeting of Members on Tuesday, October 14

The College’s Annual Meeting of Members will be held on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The online meeting is open to OCTs, applicants, interested education partners, and members of the public. Registrar & CEO Linda Lacroix, OCT/EAO, and Acting Chair of Council Tammy Webster, OCT, will provide updates on how the College works within its mandate to serve the public interest by regulating the teaching profession to protect students.

The meeting will be hosted online with simultaneous French and English interpretation and optional closed captioning, and it will conclude with a Q&A session.

Questions about College governance and operations can be submitted in advance when you fill out your registration form. Please note that we will be unable to answer questions about individual files or our application requirements. These questions should be directed to Client Services, or you can refer to the information available on our website.