Protecting the public interest
The Standard
|
|
|
A Fresh Look for The Standard
You may have noticed that this newsletter looks a little different.
Over the past few months, the College has been working behind the scenes to refresh the newsletter’s design and delivery format to improve your reading experience. The new template is aligned with our recently redeveloped public website and updated visual identity and was built with accessibility in mind.
We hope you enjoy the new format.
|
|
|
Taking Truth to Action: Advancing Reconciliation in Teacher Regulation
For the Ontario College of Teachers (the College), this year’s Truth and Reconciliation Week theme, Taking Truth to Action, means examining how we regulate the teaching profession and identifying where barriers still exist.
Over the past year, the College has taken tangible action within its regulatory mandate to help remove barriers, support Indigenous self-determination and create new opportunities for Indigenous educators and communities.
To learn more about the College’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, please read our message from Council Chair Joseph Fiorino and Registrar and CEO Linda Lacroix, OCT/EAO.
|
|
|
Council Meeting Update and Initial Teacher Education Program Changes
At a special meeting on September 1, 2026, College Council approved regulatory amendments to Ontario Regulation 176/10 Teachers’ Qualifications and Ontario Regulation 347/02 Accreditation of Teacher Education Programs related to changes to initial teacher education programs.
Current certification requirements will remain in place until May 1, 2027, when faculties of education can begin offering the new teacher education program. The new model will be a three-semester (45 postsecondary credits or their equivalent), 12-month consecutive program. It also maintains the minimum 80-day (400 hours) practicum and core content requirements.
Courses offered under the current four-semester model may continue to be offered until September 30, 2028. Teacher candidates currently enrolled in a four-semester program are not impacted by the change to a three-semester model.
For information about program availability, admission requirements, and applying to initial teacher education programs, contact faculties of education directly or visit their websites. A list of accredited teacher education programs in Ontario is available on the College website.
|
|
|
2025 Focus on Teaching Report Now Available
The 2025 Focus on Teaching report is now available, featuring insights from the 36,749 OCTs who participated in the survey. Thank you to everyone who shared their responses in support of shaping the future of the teaching profession.
The 2025 survey was designed to gather information 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 Focus on Teaching report includes selected extracts of aggregated and anonymized College registration data, providing a more complete picture of Ontario’s teaching profession. Together, this data is made available to help education system leaders make informed decisions that strengthen the profession and, in turn, benefit every student in every classroom across Ontario.
Please Note: All data collected has been aggregated and anonymized by our research partner, Forum Research Inc. The College cannot identify individual survey respondents.
|
Reducing Barriers and Certifying More Teachers
When the College introduced our Strategic Plan in 2024, it included a clear objective we refer to internally as Goal One: Accountable and agile processes to certify educators to teach in Ontario classrooms.
Since then, our Membership Services team has been dedicated to advancing Goal One while receiving higher application volumes and implementing a series of policy changes related to processing times and labour mobility.
As a result of their efforts, the College has certified 1,140 internationally educated teachers between January 1 and June 30. That represents a 78 percent increase in internationally educated teacher certifications when compared to the first six months of 2023.
Furthermore, average timelines to render a decision after receiving a complete application from an internationally educated teacher dropped from 146 calendar days to 36 calendar days — a 75 percent reduction since 2023.
How did we do it? A collective effort that maintains high professional standards, is supported by considerable investments in staffing and resources, and anchored by three key process improvements:
- Optimized credential assessment workflows
- Increased recognition of successful teaching experience
- Expanded options to satisfy language proficiency requirements
This year’s certification totals are a clear demonstration that our enhanced experience for internationally educated teachers is effective. The broader benefit is a smoother application process and quicker certification decisions for all teacher candidates.
Certification totals and timelines are publicly available in the Registrar’s Reports to Council.
|
|
|
RSVP to Attend our Annual Meeting of Members on Tuesday, October 20
There is still time to register to join College leadership for our Annual Meeting of Members on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET.
The online meeting is open to OCTs, applicants, interested education partners, and members of the public. Council Chair Joseph Fiorino, JD, LLM; Registrar and CEO Linda Lacroix, OCT/EAO; and Audit and Finance Subcommittee Chair, Valerie Fontenelle, 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 on Zoom with simultaneous French and English interpretation. Optional closed captioning will also be available.
The session will conclude with a Q&A period. 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.
A recording of the meeting will be posted to the College YouTube channel at a later date.
|
|
|
|
Your feedback matters
Help us improve
We're gathering feedback to better understand how effectively the College communicates its role and responsibilities as Ontario's teaching regulator. Take our short, anonymous survey and share your perspective.
Takes about one minute. Responses are anonymous.
|
|
|
The College’s 2025 Annual Report is Now Available
The Ontario College of Teachers has released its 2025 Annual Report.
Members of the public and the profession are invited to explore the report, which provides an overview of the College’s priorities and activities in 2025. It also includes key statistics, such as new teacher certifications, the most popular Additional Qualification courses, and complaints and discipline outcomes.
Highlights from 2025 include:
- 31,587 total Additional Qualifications awarded
- 9,923 applications received
- 8,532 new members certified
Want to learn more about the work behind these figures? Our Fair Registration Practices Report provides detailed information about how we are improving our processes for internationally educated teachers, which in turn creates a better experience for everyone. Read our 2025 Fair Registration Practices Report.
|
|
|
Stay Connected: Follow the College on Social Media
Want to stay informed about Council updates, scholarship opportunities, professional resources and more? Follow the Ontario College of Teachers on social media.
We share updates, resources, and news across our channels. It's an easy way to stay informed between issues of The Standard.
Find us on:
|
|
|
Copyright © Ontario College of Teachers
101 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON, M5S 0A1
oct.ca | Privacy Policy
|
|
|
|
|
| |
