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President’s Report
Hello Everyone,
The first few months of a school year are always a busy time for all of us. No matter how much we prepare for the year, each year holds surprises. This year the talk of the H1N1 pandemic is an additional threat for students and teachers.
I commend all of you for the work that you undertake daily to provide your students with a sense of purpose, respect, and personal success. You touch the minds and spirits of the future citizens and that in itself provides you with purpose, respect and personal success.
This year, 2009, marked the 65th Anniversary of the Ontario Teachers’ Federation. The OTF of today is different from the OTF of 1944 but its key principles and objectives remain the same. OTF developed a new look which was unveiled a year ago. We have now branded OTF with the new logo and colours on all our internal and external communications. The new website incorporates the new look as well as provides new information, improved navigability and maintains current and relevant issues.
Our new website provides me with a more direct and personal way to communicate with you on the role that OTF plays in our publicly funded system within its three pillars of: advocacy; pension; and policy and legislation. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to briefly outline for you what has been going on at OTF over the last few months and give you a glimpse at what is to come.
ADVOCACY
World Teachers’ Day
OTF’s recognition of World Teachers’ Day was highlighted by our OTIP Teaching Awards. This sixth year of the awards saw the ceremony held on October 1. Two new awards were added to this year’s program. The Toronto Star Readers’ Choice Award, and the Prix d’enseignement TFO. On October 4, 2009, the day before World Teachers’ Day, OTF and the Toronto Marlies co-sponsored a Teacher Appreciation Hockey event. Part of the proceeds from the sale of tickets, a total of $2,500.00, was donated to the Kids Help Phone, an organization committed to improving the well-being of Canadian Children and youth.
Professional Development
In addition to the other activities of the Teaching Matters project, OTF has continued its involvement in ongoing professional development initiatives, including Survive and Thrive, Safe@School and the Teacher Learning and Leadership Program (TLLP).
The It’s About Time project, offered for the first time this year, uses a problem-based learning model that provides time for teachers to direct their own professional learning. This year the project supported teams of up to four teachers through three days of release time. The resources developed by the 73 teams will be reviewed and posted on the OTF website. The second round of the It’s About Time project was advertised in the spring edition of the Teaching Matters Newsletter. The proposals were reviewed and the successful teams began work in late September.
Planet in Focus
OTF has partnered with Planet in Focus (PIF), in implementing the Environmental Film Festival which supports teachers in their efforts to raise environmental awareness in their school communities. The project offers teachers a practical professional learning experience and provides many opportunities to develop and improve leadership skills along with collaborative team work.
OTF Summer Program
The OTF Summer Program Camps of 2009 far exceeded expectations with 750 teacher participants. OTF offered a series of three-day workshops in July and August that provided opportunities for teachers to come together with colleagues to reflect on their teaching practice and share what works in their classrooms. Experienced teacher facilitators guided collaborative discussions to build on one another’s expertise. Three types of programs were offered: environmentally themed Going Green workshops, Critical Thinking workshops in partnership with the Critical Thinking Consortium, and subject-based workshops offered in partnership with different subject associations.
PENSION
2009 Pension Filing
The deadline for the Pension filing for this year was September 30, 2009, and the Pension Partners (OTF and Ontario Government) chose to file following an agreement reached with the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (OTPPB).
The Partners based their discussions for filing on two principles—there would be no contribution increase nor any benefit reduction to the Plan members. In exchange, OTF and the Ontario Government would commit to a joint communication plan containing an education plan component. Any communication with respect to options concerning Plan challenges would be done through joint communication of the Partners and the Plan. The sustainability of the Plan would be addressed by a Tripartite Work Group comprised of one member from each Affiliate, OTF, and the Plan and Ontario Government.
Upon completion of the details and the Communications Plan, notice was filed with the provincial pension regulator Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO). A joint communication Funding Update was sent to all Plan members on October 1, 2009. Click here to read it. The Sustainability Tripartite Workgroup also agreed to employ the services of Dr. Harry Arthurs, from York University, as a facilitator.
Re-employment, 95/20 Limit and Buybacks
The Plan Partners (OTF and Government of Ontario) through their Partners’ Committee have undertaken the task of reviewing the Plan rules in three areas: re-employment definition; re-employment limit 95/20; and pension buy-backs.
Re-employment suddenly became a hot topic when the summer 2009 issue of Pension News generated a flurry of phone calls to OTF from members looking for clarity on what constitutes volunteering. OTF and OTPP now have a common understanding on the issue and a revised Pension News is available online. If salary or pension credit is ordinarily associated with the work, (for example, shelf reading in the library, or doing clerical work in the school office) the time counts towards your limit. Remember, all employment counts – not just teaching – so if your board would ordinarily pay someone to do the work, you must count it.
The re-employment after retirement is being reviewed with consideration being given to a single limit rather than the current rule of 95 days in each of the first three school years in which one returns to work and 20 days each school year after that.
Lastly, we are looking at the issue of Buybacks and the current rules giving the members up to five years from the end of an eligible leave or break in service to complete their buybacks. The current process is problematic.
POLICY and LEGISLATION
Ontario College of Teachers (OCT)
It is always challenging to summarize in a few short paragraphs the extent of our involvement with the Ontario College of Teachers. Since last April’s election we have met with the newly-elected Councillors and discussed many issues of mutual concern, including the College’s decision to introduce a professional designation for teachers, how to improve relations among the organizations, and college initiatives that either surpass Federation’s interpretation of the College’s mandate or that overlap on Federation’s jurisdiction.
There have been many changes in recent months at the College. There is a new Registrar, Michael Salvatori, and Deputy Registrar, Joe Jamieson, a new Chair, Liz Papadopoulos, and a new Vice-Chair, Ruth Ann Penny.
Student Assessment and Evaluation
The new assessment, evaluation and reporting policy document from the Ministry of Education entitled Growing Success, has now been through the second round of consultations after the release of the draft policy document last winter. The final document, once approved by the Minister, will be distributed to all boards and schools with a mandatory implementation date of September 2010.
Teacher Education
OTF’s involvement in teacher education is focused on three major areas: 1. Our ongoing liaison and interaction with the publicly-funded faculties of education and with the Deans of Education; 2. Policy development and influence; and 3. teacher professional learning.
A major preoccupation of the Teacher Ed committee recently has been the issue of teacher supply and demand, as faculties continue to admit large number of candidates. Other issues include new labour mobility agreements and legislation, practica and associate teaching, and the distribution of OTF’s newly released set of guidelines for dealing with harassment complaints during practicum placements.
In many ways, the changes to the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) governing interprovincial labour mobility have felt like the proverbial train coming down the tracks that no one can either stop or divert. The specific challenge presented by the AIT to teacher education in Ontario is two-fold. On the one hand, we must ensure that our system of subject and division specialization does not restrict or impede teachers who come from other jurisdictions where such specialization is not required. On the other hand, we have also been compelled to assert that the shorter, one-year training undertaken in Ontario does not render our teachers any less qualified than their counterparts in other provinces or territories. In the year ahead, we will continue to monitor closely the impact of AIT on teacher certification.
CONCLUSION
The year ahead will undoubtedly present some challenges for OTF. The School Information Finder website, despite the best efforts of OTF and the Affiliates, continues to exist. The full day Kindergarten program model that the Provincial Government has chosen—pairing a full-time certified teacher with a trained early childhood educator will no doubt assist teachers to deliver a quality, age-appropriate program. Declining enrolment will continue to be an issue as we have seen from demographic predictions, especially in rural and northern Ontario. The introduction of a professional designation for teachers currently being implemented by the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) will no doubt further test the relationship between OTF and the College as to who speaks on behalf of the interests of Ontario teachers. Finally, the H1N1 Flu virus reported around the world and declared by the World Health Organization as a pandemic has certainly brought a new challenge to the health and welfare of our students and staff.
Building and maintaining consensus on these and other issues will be important for OTF. The value of all Affiliates working co-operatively to advance our common cause is what I believe was imagined 65 years ago.
Reno Melatti
President
Ontario Teachers’ Federation
