r/OntarioTeachers

I teach in DDSB at a school that I reeeeaaally love. I’m going into my 6th year teaching, 5th as a permanent teacher so I’ve built up a bit of seniority.

I’m feeling priced out of Southern Ontario, maybe Ontario as a whole. I feel like I’ll never be able to afford to exist comfortably if I stay here, but I’m worried about giving up the security (and enjoyment) of working where I do now.

Has anyone given up seniority by moving boards, and if so, was it worth it or did you have regrets?

Hello! I’ve been a bit of a lurker here myself but I’m posting because I would like some insight. My boyfriend who is 21 is looking into teaching. He was debating between becoming a history teacher in high school or a history professor but I think he’s leaning into high school. I obviously let him know the different requirements. He just got accepted into Lakehead’s ConEd program.

Obviously I’m super happy for him and he says that he’s excited and whatnot. But I also know how he is and I think he may have undiagnosed ADHD lol and sometimes really get excited into certain ideas so I’m not sure if this is truly a dream or just a moment type feeling. He did also say how he’s had the thought of teaching a few years ago but wasn’t completely sure of what career he wanted to pursue.

Basically I’m just wondering, would you recommend going into the field of teaching nowadays? His step mom does supply teaching as her second job in the TCDSB and says she thinks people don’t want to be teachers nowadays so it shouldn’t be too difficult to get a job. But I’ve seen otherwise on this sub that it’s very difficult and unless you’re a French major you will work supply for years. So I would really appreciate insight on history in high school in particular and what your typical everyday tasks are and any other useful info!

Thank you so much!

It’s that time of year again when teachers—particularly American “influencers” and content creators—start showing social media everything they’ve bought and decorated for their classrooms. And honestly, I think some of this has gotten completely out of hand.
Please do not compare yourself to these teachers. You do not need a colourful, perfectly curated, Pinterest-worthy classroom to be an amazing teacher. If you genuinely love decorating your classroom and creating that kind of environment, that is absolutely okay! But it is not a requirement for being a good teacher.
What concerns me is the message this can unintentionally send to other teachers, especially new teachers, who may already feel overwhelmed and like they aren’t doing enough. Our classrooms do not need to look like a content studio. They need to be places where children feel safe, supported, challenged and excited to learn.
And social media can be exhausting sometimes. You’ll see comments like, “Where was this teacher when I was in school?” as though the teachers who had simple classrooms, basic materials and less “aesthetic” environments somehow weren’t good teachers. I’m not trying to bash these influencers at all. I’m sure many of them are incredible teachers. My concern is the culture that has developed around classroom content and the pressure it creates.
There was a perfect example of this recently when a video went viral of a mom crying after Meet the Teacher night because her child’s classroom didn’t have a “fun rug.” The reaction was based on an expectation that a classroom should look a certain way in order to feel exciting or welcoming to a child.
And that is exactly where I think we need to pause.
Children do not need a perfectly decorated classroom to have an amazing school year. They need a teacher who knows their name, listens to them, believes in them, teaches them, challenges them and makes them feel like they belong.
My other major concern is the way other people’s children are being used as content for views. These are real children, not props for a classroom aesthetic or content strategy. Their privacy and dignity should always come before engagement, views and followers.
Decorate your classroom if it brings you joy. Buy the cute bins if you love them. Make your room colourful if that’s your thing. But please remember: you are not a better teacher because your classroom looks better on social media.
Your students will remember how you made them feel and what you taught them far longer than they’ll remember what was hanging on your walls.

Hello! Once again I find myself coming to the end of the summer with no job lined up for September. For context I’m entering my 4th year working for my board (AMDSB), I have had a good amount of LTOs in both primary and junior levels, I have good references from the principals I’ve worked with and I feel like I have been good with establishing good relationships with the school I have done my LTOs and supplied at. I came into the summer feeling hopeful that I would finally start the school year with a job, but I’ve heard nothing from the many jobs I’ve applied to. I applied to both ltos and permanent contract. I really thought that by this point I have had a good amount of experience under my belt, but I guess I was wrong. I’m not trying to take it personally and still feeling hopeful that I will land a more stable job by October, I was apply to get a full year lto last year by then. For those who are permanent, what was the timeline like for you with getting hired from ltos to permanent? Any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated!

LTO’s: Given the current lack of LTO’s available in YRDSB and TDSB, if you were offered one, would you be picky or just accept whatever was available if offered? I’m thinking of applying to a 2 month long LTO at 100%.

Second year as an occasional teacher and seen some full time LTOs I would be interested in applying for. Would it be possible to somehow get a position without having any principal references? I had no idea that is something you had to do while supplying

Hi all - when applying for department headships, they’ll usually note that a specialist is required.

Do both an honours specialist and 3-part specialist count to satisfying this requirement? For example, for an HPE headship, would someone with an honours specialist in HPE, and someone who did a 3-part specialist in HPE, both be considered qualified to apply?

Thanks!

Like many others I got an interview request for the TDSB OT list today (elementary), yay, but I’m concerned about this line:

“Please note that your references will also be contacted and must respond within 48hours; otherwise, your application will not proceed.”

Uhhhh my god! All my references are TDSB teachers off for the summer and probably on vacation. As are everyone’s references I’d imagine. Does anyone have experience with this? Should I email my references to check in with them, or is that redundant? Do all 3 references have to respond within this timeline or my application to proceed?

We’re in GTA area. My son was born extremely prematurely at 27 weeks. His due date was in March 2025, but he was born in December 2024. Under Ontario’s age-based grade placement system, he would therefore be placed in Grade 1 with children born in 2024.
I was wondering whether it would be possible to appeal this placement and request that he join the Grade 1 cohort of children born in 2025 instead.
My concern is that, due to his extreme prematurity, he could potentially be significantly younger developmentally than many of the children in the 2024 cohort. At this age, even a difference of several months can make a meaningful difference in development, maturity, physical size, and overall readiness for school.
I’m concerned that placing him with the 2024 cohort could create unnecessary challenges for him early in his education. I would therefore like to understand whether there is any flexibility or an appeal process for children who were born significantly prematurely, and whether his corrected age and developmental history could be taken into consideration when determining his Grade 1 placement.

I can’t believe it happened! I wanted to post here since I’ve barely seen anyone get an interview. My teachables are I/S English and History and I applied May 22.

They emailed me with an invitation to an IN PERSON interview, on a specific day next week, with only two timeslot choices on that day, and demanded an answer in less than 24h. (The form also says telephone interview but the heading of the email says in person??) I am super lucky that I can make it. It also says that my references need to respond in 48h or I get disqualified.

Does anyone have any tips for this situation? I know the TDSB interview Qs, but like is this a group interview? I haven’t heard of TDSB doing in person anywhere

I know this has been asked many, many times but I really want to get a litmus test on whether my niece has a shot getting into teachers college or not. She’s super nervous about applying this upcoming cycle and I’m trying to help her out.

I see many different posts about this topic but some posts will have people saying they’ve been rejected with a 90% and then other posts saying they’ve been accepted with a 70%. I know certain schools are a bit holistic but still, any insight would be great.

Her ECs is that she’s taught in Montessori schools, tutored little kids and her GPA is in the low to mid 70s.

She’s looking at Lakehead, Nipissing, Ontario Tech etc.

Does she have a shot?

Thanks for everyone’s help.

Hi everyone,I am planning to apply for the consecutive Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) program in Ontariofor the upcoming cycle. I'm focusing on the Junior/Intermediate (J/I) stream with Science General as my teachable and Chemistry/mathematics (I/S).

I have Foreign 4-year Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from American University of Sharjah (fully recognized as a Canadian 4-year degree via WES course by course evaluation ).

With 6.5 years of formal, full-time experience working as a middle/high school Chemistry teacher for Ministry of Education in the UAE.

My overall GPA is 3.18 and Best 10.0 credits (20 half-courses) 3.68 GPA (A- average) and Most Recent 10.0 credits (20 half-courses) 3.28 GPA ( B average).

I dont know exactly what percentage it equals as AI platform says that 3.68 equal 82-84%.

My Main Questions are :

Given that uOttawa and Nipissing use the Best 20 calculation, how competitive is a 3.68 GPA for J/I Science? I know uOttawa uses a 60% academic / 40% Casper split now, so will my 6.5 years of classroom experience give me an edge on Casper?

For schools like Laurier or Trent that look at the Most Recent credits but require an Experience Profile, will my 6.5 years of international teaching offset my 3.28 recent GPA?

I've read on here that anything under a high-80s average is a rejection, but does that rule change significantly for STEM teachables in the J/I division?

Are there any other schools I should target or avoid based on this specific profile? (I'm leaning toward avoiding York due to the high GPA cutoffs in the GTA).Thanks in advance for any insights or advice!

Hi all,

I (24F) will be starting Teachers college in the next few weeks. I’m attending York University’s Junior Intermediate B.ed cohort with English as my teachable.

Overall, im excited for this journey but I must admit I’m super nervous lol! I would really appreciate some tips on how I can best prepare myself and maybe some suggestions on the things I may need.. (Aside from a laptop, pens, notebooks etc. what are some things that may be useful?)

Hello,

I apologize if this is a basic question, but I was wondering whether there is a standard Grade 12 mathematics textbook that is universally used across Ontario high schools.

I am interested in starting to tutor Grade 12 mathematics to students as a side business, and I would like to familiarize myself with the curriculum and course material in advance. Having the relevant textbook would be particularly helpful for reviewing the topics and preparing for tutoring sessions.

If there is no single textbook used across Ontario, I would greatly appreciate any recommendations for the most commonly used textbooks or resources for Grade 12 mathematics courses.

Thank you.

Fellow teachers and educators....how are we feeling about this new development? I put the IG link with the details. I'm honestly not surprised at this point. Every 4 to 5 years, we are subject to intense scrutiny and disrespect. It's demoralizing, to say the least.

We get stuck with a Minister of Ed who knows nothing about education. I just can't.

Hi all! I got an email today for an initial OT interview from TDSB, and in one section it says the interview will be in person at a school, while the other section says its a “phone interview”. Anyone have any insight on location?

Hi,

I have recently gotten onto the OT/supply list for the TDSB, on the conditional basis that I have a satisfactory vulnerable sector screening and my OCT cert.

To prevent me for waiting weeks on end for a vulnerable sector screening, can I just apply for one now? Or do I have to wait for a special code or instructions provided by the TDSB to make sure I have a vulnerable screening test that suits them/is specific to them?

I do have one from August 2025, but it is solely for working in a certain childcare centre.

Do you have to get an individual vulnerable sector check for each new job/new school?

Thanks! I'm just trying to avoid the wait, so I can start supplying straight away😊

Disclosure first: I run a small Ontario advocacy site and there's a longer illustrated version of this there — link near the bottom, after the sources.

The way I ended up thinking about it: public education is a car the public owns. We paid for it, our name is on it, and we're still making the payments. The question I got interested in is who's actually holding the keys — and it turns out almost every answer changed in the last two years.

They took the keys. Eight boards have been placed under provincial supervision since 2025. After a vesting order the Minister has control over the board's officers and employees, its revenues and expenditures, its assets and liabilities, its estimates, and the sale of its assets. Your elected trustee is not in that sentence anywhere.

Then they blamed the driver. Deficits were the case for stepping in. But look at the supervised boards' own approved 2026–27 budgets: TDSB about $15M, TCDSB $39M, Dufferin-Peel $36.4M, OCDSB $3.5M. Those are real reductions from worse numbers and the supervisors inherited real pressures — but if the deficit is the proof that trustees were the problem, it's worth asking why the deficit outlived the trustees.

Then the easy parts came off. In Dufferin-Peel, $3.4M of the supervisor's savings came from cutting vice-principal, consultant, senior-management and central-office positions, plus attrition. That's the layer that answers the phone when you need a placement sorted, a plan written, or coverage found.

Then the core systems. The Act lets the Minister set binding policy on what boards say publicly, approve board estimates with conditions, and it bars a board from dismissing its own director of education without the Minister's prior written approval. And the one closest to us: CODE now sits where OPSBA and OCSTA used to, as the employer bargaining agency. Per OECTA's brief the Minister can replace CODE if it proves "unable or unwilling," and CODE's committee can set a process that doesn't require voting at all. OSSTF/FEESO's submission notes the consultation window was two weeks, with central bargaining about to open.

Then the value gets routed. For specified capital work the Minister can select a "person or body" to exercise board powers over project management, revenues and expenditures, contracts and vendors — and direct the board to pay its fees. For scale: the FAO put school buildings at $123.3B replacement value with a $6.5B repair backlog as of March 2024.

What's left is the shell. Property not needed within ten years must be sold. Dufferin-Peel books roughly $17.5M from two property sales to help close its gap, and its own budget calls that one-time and not sustainable. Meanwhile the statute is explicit that good-faith immunity for people acting in these roles does not relieve the board of liability it would otherwise carry.

So: the public still owns it. The public still pays for it. The public may still carry the liabilities. The decisions, the direction and the value are increasingly somewhere else.

Is that a corporate raid or is it repair? Honestly, I can't prove the first one and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. The government's position is that supervision restores accountability and pushes money into classrooms, and some of those reductions are consistent with that. What I can say is that the structure matches the pattern — discredit management, take control, strip overhead, take the core functions, monetize the assets, leave the original owner holding the obligations — and that the machinery to finish the job now exists in statute.

The thing I'd watch for, and the reason I'm posting rather than concluding: as of August 2026 I can't find a single case of the Minister handing a board's contracts or capital work to a private firm under those new powers. No P3 school builds either. If that changes, this stops being an argument about structure. If it doesn't, then this is a centralization story and it should be called one.

I drew the whole sequence out as seven illustrations, with every statement tagged as documented fact, government position, analysis or open question and the source behind each one — that's here if it's useful: https://www.endthewaitontario.com/investigations/the-car-is-public

Things I genuinely don't know, if anyone here does:

• Is the SBCBA s. 21 amendment actually proclaimed and in force, or still awaiting commencement?
• Has anyone's local heard anything concrete about how CODE is running the employer side?
• Is there any published criteria for when a supervised board gets its elected trustees back?

Happy to be corrected on any of it.