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Revitalized college of teachers, respect for trustees, better teacher
training
QUEEN'S PARK, ON, March 2 /CNW/ - The McGuinty government would, for the
first time, set provincial education outcomes as part of a new Student
Performance bill to amplify its education initiatives and remove barriers to
greater student achievement, said Gerard Kennedy, Minister of Education.
"The previous one-size-fits-all approach to education has been proven
ineffective," said Kennedy at St. Luigi Catholic School in Toronto where he
visited a new teacher in her classroom. "This bill is a significant tune-up
that would modernize education by creating the conditions of success for all
of our students."
The "Student Performance Bill" which will be introduced later today,
contains several limited but substantive amendments to the Education Act and
the Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996, to support clear goals for improved
student performance; partnership within education based on respect; and
openness to the public.
The bill would provide the legal support needed to enable provincial
education goals:
Improved Student Performance:
- ability to set clear provincial education outcomes for the first time
and the ability for the ministry to require school boards to meet
those outcomes
- formal on-the-job learning, including mentors, as the second step in
new teachers' professional development
- teacher performance appraisals that support genuine teacher
development
- ability to add additional professional activity days for teacher
training
- authorizing e-learning as a recognized instructional method
- ability to change maximum class size in regulation
- ability to enable long-term teacher collective agreements.
Partnership in Education Based on Respect:
- ability to provide realistic supports for trustees including increased
honorarium
- removing excessive personal penalties in the Education Act related to
trustee compliance
- empowerment and recognition of student trustees through new
scholarships, non-binding votes, new procedural rights and assured
resources
- a revitalized Ontario College of Teachers that respects teachers as
professionals, has the confidence of its members and the public and is
de-politicized in carrying out its mandate.
Openness to the Public:
- requirements for public reporting
- increasing Community Use of Schools spaces.
"Minister Kennedy has made it a matter of record that he values the
commitment and hard work of Trustees in their unstinting contribution to
public education," said Rick Johnson, President of the Ontario Public School
Boards' Association. "We are hopeful that today's announcement will quickly
lead to a fair honorarium that befits the position of School Board Trustee."
"Providing effective supports for teachers is essential, especially when
they are at the beginning of their career," said Lisa Filipuzzi, Grade 3
teacher at St. Luigi Catholic School. "As a first year teacher, I can tell you
that it can be challenging, but having an experienced teacher available to
provide support will ensure that both myself and my students succeed."
"The Minister has taken a positive and proactive stance to engage
students across the province," said Nathan Lachowsky, president of the Ontario
Student Trustees' Association. "This would set the foundation for future
development and continued engagement of students - to be caring and
compassionate about what they are learning and the decisions that affect
them."
Disponible en français.
www.edu.gov.on.ca
www.resultsontario.gov.on.ca
Backgrounder
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
STUDENT PERFORMANCE BILL
The McGuinty government would, for the first time, set provincial
outcomes as part of a new student performance bill to amplify its education
initiatives and remove barriers to greater student achievement. The bill
contains several limited but substantive amendments to the Education Act and
the Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996 to support clear goals for improved
student performance; partnership within education based on respect; and
openness to the public.
IMPROVED STUDENT PERFORMANCE
Teaching Excellence Initiatives
-------------------------------
There are a wide range of factors that influence the effectiveness of
teaching. Increasing student performance means supporting leadership in the
school, the availability of resources, the quality of the curriculum and
strategies being used by the school and the system. It also means providing
the support and recognition for what teachers and educators do on behalf of
students every day. The government, therefore, recognizes the need to
strengthen the skills and abilities of teachers as well as improve these other
factors which are vital to ensuring overall teaching excellence and increasing
student success.
Replacing Pen and Paper Tests with Mentors and Classroom Experience
The old pencil and paper Ontario Teacher Qualifying Test (OTQT) was
criticized in terms of its relevance and the fact that it did not evaluate
actual classroom experience.
In November 2005, the ministry announced that it would no longer
administer the qualifying test since it would be replaced with a new, more
relevant assessment mechanism and support system for beginning teachers. In
March 2005, the Ontario College of Teachers established a provisional
certificate for all teacher graduates as an interim solution to allow new
graduates to teach while consultations to develop a new assessment take place.
Subject to the approval of the Legislature, the requirement for teacher
candidates to pass the OTQT as a condition of teacher certification would be
revoked. In its place, new teachers would be required to complete the New
Teacher Induction Program. Informal programs for beginning teachers are
already underway in many Ontario schools.
Second Professional Step for New Teachers
Effective mentoring programs over the beginning years of a teacher's
career are vital to improve new teacher retention and development for
beginning teachers. The program is designed as a positive "second step" for
new teachers, giving them valuable in-class support during their challenging
first year of practice. It would complement their formal one-year of
pre-service education with another full year of support. The result would be
better prepared and more confident teachers.
If approved by the Legislature, the program would replace the qualifying
test with a more meaningful assessment of actual teaching practice, focussing
on teacher success through feedback on performance and growth.
It would also provide a variety of supports for new teachers, including:
- on-the-job training in areas such as classroom management and
effective parent communication skills
- mentoring for new teachers by experienced teachers
- orientation for all new teachers by the school and school board
- successful completion of NTIP would occur upon receiving two
satisfactory evaluations.
If approved by the Legislature, successful completion of the New Teacher
Induction Program (NTIP) would require the successful completion of two
satisfactory teacher performance appraisals. Successful completion of NTIP
would be noted on the teachers' certificate and the Ontario College of
Teachers public register.
Professional Activity (PA) Days for Greater Student Achievement
In 1997, the previous government reduced the number of professional
activity days from nine to four. Some of these remaining professional activity
days were also negotiated away and are currently being restored through the
2005 Provincial Dialogue resulting in long term peace and stability. In other
provinces, the average number of PA days is 9.
Most teacher development already happens on a teacher's own time - either
after school hours or over the summer. Effectively, four days out of 194 in
the school year does not allow principals and teachers enough opportunity to
engage in shared problem solving, team learning and learning the latest
teaching techniques to improve student achievement. This is particularly
important, recognizing that development is not just acquiring knowledge or
teaching skills, but sustaining motivation and innovation as well.
Provisions that restrict only up to four PA days per school year would be
repealed. Regulation would add an additional two days, bringing the total to
six annually. The government would have the authority to determine the purpose
of PA days. These would be established in regulation on the basis of the
government's education priorities.
The government is continuing to invest in teachers' ongoing professional
development with summer institutes and training programs throughout the year
focused on literacy, numeracy and student success in high school.
New Board and Ministry Responsibility
-------------------------------------
To support the government's ability to ensure confidence in public
education, the ministry has identified areas of key provincial interest, such
as class size, fiscal responsibility, improvements in literacy and numeracy
and safe schools.
The legislation, if passed, would permit regulations to clarify ministry
and board responsibility related to those goals, particularly concerning
student performance. It would enable the ministry to set provincial outcomes
and require boards to meet those outcomes. Specific outcomes would be set in
regulation after significant consultation between the ministry and school
boards.
This legislation would enable clear setting of ministry expectations.
This would give school boards flexibility when implementing provincial
initiatives.
The government would have the power to act when a board makes a decision
that might raise concerns about its financial management, or involve the
violation or potential violation of a board's obligation regarding matters of
key provincial interest that are prescribed in regulation. Previously
established punitive measures that personally penalized trustees who failed to
comply with directions, orders or decisions of the Minister would be repealed.
The government intends to establish a Standing Committee on education to
hold public hearings every year on the effectiveness of provincial funding.
Learning for More Students Through Virtual Technology
The proposed legislation would give school boards the authority to
provide instruction by electronic means to students not present in the
classroom.
Delete Statutory Workload Minimums for Teachers
The bill would remove teacher workload minimums from legislation and
provide authority to address the issue in regulation. This action would work
to enhance student achievement and address teacher workload issues.
Term of Teacher Collective Agreements
The Education Amendment Act, 2005, repealed previous legislation and
provided for the negotiation of two- or four-year teacher collective
agreements. The government also announced measures to encourage longer-term
contracts, including salary increases, investments to support student success
and provincial dialogues on workload issues. If passed, the bill would allow
the extension of labour agreements from two-year to four-year terms.
Class Size
If passed, the bill would repeal sections of the Education Act relating
to class size limits and replace it with the authority to make regulations
governing class size that support phased implementation of the government's
primary class size initiative and other measures.
PARTNERSHIP IN EDUCATION BASED ON RESPECT:
The Ontario College of Teachers as a True Professional Body
The McGuinty government believes it is time to revitalize and
depoliticize the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) as a true professional
body.
Teachers deserve the privilege of self-regulation. The benefits of a
successful College to Ontario students should be obvious: highly skilled,
motivated teachers who are held in high regard by the public at large.
If passed, the legislation would change the governance structure of the
OCT to depoliticize the College and have a majority of classroom teachers on
its council. Changes would include:
- Adding six elected teacher positions to the OCT's Council -
normalizing the College by having self-regulation by the professionals
it represents
- Working with the OCT to put in place conflict-of-interest provisions
that would prohibit Council membership for representatives of specific
organizations
- Creating a new Public Interest Committee of non-OCT members to advise
the College Council on matters relating to the Council's duty to serve
the public interest
- Statutorily affirming the College's duty to ensure its registration
process is fair and transparent.
These amendments would support the government's "Excellence for All"
commitment to "turn the Ontario College of Teachers into a professional body
that sets the highest standards for the profession and earns the respect of
teachers and parents."
Empowering Student Trustees
As a first step in ongoing student trustee development, the legislation,
if passed, would provide student trustees with a variety of rights, including
a scholarship at the completion of their term, equal access to all board
resources and the same right to attend trustee training opportunities as board
members. This supports the Minister's commitment to address the Ontario
Student Trustees' Association recommendation to empower student
representatives on school boards.
The government will also be making a new proposal for discussion on
Student Engagement, touching on character education and citizenship values,
the ability for students to influence their school environment and new models
for student trustees. Several options on how to achieve more relevance for
student trustees will be provided, including potential future voting
privileges.
Increasing Trustee Remuneration
Trustees' hard work and contribution towards increased student success
has resulted in a productive environment of peace and stability, and school
progress through improved student achievement and improved services. Trustees'
capacity to undertake their role is an important ingredient in successful
education improvement.
If passed, the bill would:
- Permit school boards to set trustee compensation up to provincial
limits that would be set in regulation, in line with school boards
elsewhere in Canada
- Grant authority for regulations to provide a retroactive increase to
trustees' honoraria for the current school year and permit the
government to require a process to assist boards to set compensation
- Eliminate arbitrary and paternalistic personal penalties for trustees
enacted by the previous government
- Provide some clarification about respective roles in stewarding
education.
OPENESS TO THE PUBLIC:
Public Reporting
The legislation, if passed, would also give the ministry the ability to
require school boards to publish reports respecting their compliance with
specific operational requirements that will be set out in regulation,
fostering greater public accountability and openness in education.
Community Use of Schools
If passed, the bill would expand the Minister's authority to make
ministry grants to enhance community use of schools.
To off-set costs associated with the Community Use of Schools initiative,
the Minister may direct school boards to offer school facilities for community
use at a nominal fee.
Disponible en français
www.edu.gov.on.ca
-30-
For further information: Amanda Alvaro, Minister's Office, (416) 325-2632, (416) 509-5696 (cell); Steve Robinson, Communications Branch, (416) 325-2667; Public Inquiries: (416) 325-2929 or 1-800-387-5514, TTY: 1-800-263-2892
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