The Ontario College of Teachers: Still a Source of Concern (OTF Report)

It is fitting, in ETFO’s 10th  anniversary year, that  we  celebrate  its  successes. However,  we must also look, acknowledge and reflect on the challenges that bind  the 155,000 members of the Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF). One of these is the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT). Since its inception in 1996, many aspects of the college have been a source of grave concern for federation.
First, it is important to differentiate between the mandates of the two organizations.   OTF is responsible for  advocating on behalf of the profession, while the college regulates the profession  in  the  public  interest.  Often  in  the years since its formation, the college has been perceived as straying beyond its mandate and undertaking initiatives that are both costly and unnecessary. This has led to numerous discussions about the OCT fee between OTF and the college.

Teachers want their college to use their fees prudently. Most members believe that the OCT annual  membership  fee  of  $104  is  too  high. They will be disappointed to learn that the college’s governing council recently  endorsed an annual fee of  $120 for three years beginning in 2009. The chair of council, an elected member, justified this increase in a recent article of Professionally Speaking by indicating additional need in the areas of accreditation, investigations, and hearings as well as the need to purchase a building or secure office space.

Let’s be clear: councillors should fulfill their mandate  and  their  fiduciary  responsibilities. Indeed, it is a legislative requirement. However, the funding of activities that stray beyond the OCT  mandate  should  not  be  tolerated.  The excessive manner in which the college undertakes some of its initiatives (for example, OCT’s attendance at job fairs in Quebec, New Brunswick, and New York) must be curtailed. College staff presenting professional learning activities for teachers around the province is an undertaking not  contemplated in  its mandate  and therefore should cease.

The college offices are currently located in the Bloor-Church area of Toronto, prime real estate  that  the  college  is  continuing  to  consider for its permanent facility. Its proximity to Queen’s Park should not be a  factor. Real estate  in  other  areas  serviced  by  Toronto’s transit  system  could  be  significantly cheaper and still accessible for members and staff.  The selection of a facility must be guided by fiscal responsibility.

Over the course of a decade, there have been improvements in the OCT’s governance structure. When the Harris Tories passed the Ontario College of Teachers Act in 1996 it established a governing council of 31 members, 17 of them elected. Of these, only 13 were OTF members.

The federation had numerous concerns. The College was seen as the vehicle by which the government carried out its policies and regulations  (Ontario  teacher  qualifying  test,  recertification, teacher performance  appraisal). As a result, the college had very little credibility among the members. The entire notion of  a self-regulating body was fundamentally flawed because the governing structure did not have a majority of teachers.

In  2006,  following  an  intensive  lobbying campaign by OTF members, the Liberal government amended the Act. OTF members now have a slight plurality on the governing council.

Overall  a  more  constructive  relationship now exists between OTF and the college.  Nevertheless,  there   are   numerous  outstanding issues.  Hopefully,  when  ETFO  celebrates  its 20th anniversary, a more positive reflection will be outlined.