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Beginning Occasional Teachers
Most teachers begin their careers as occasional teachers. Ontario’s new teachers across the province are
increasingly relying on occasional teaching assignments as their introduction to the teaching profession.
Occasional teachers are a very important part of the school system. They are fully qualified teachers
who are as legally responsible as any other teacher. They face the added challenges of being called at
a moment’s notice, following another teacher’s day plan, and dealing with a multitude of unknowns in
each teaching assignment.
A daily occasional teacher may be in a different school every day. Teachers who are absent for extended
periods of time are replaced by long-term occasional (LTO) teachers.
An occasional teacher fulfills all of the responsibilities of the teacher that is absent. In most cases,
this means that the occasional teacher has the same yard duty, hall duty, classroom assignments and
preparation time as the teacher being replaced. Check with your local occasional teacher collective
agreements for the requirements around duty and preparation time, and provisions for the role of long-
term occasional teacher.
ONTARIO REGULATION 274/12 AND TEACHER HIRING BY SCHOOL BOARDS
Regulation 274 was filed by the provincial government in September 2012 under the Education Act. It
establishes steps all publicly funded school boards must follow when hiring for long term occasional
(LTO) and new permanent teaching positions.
Under Regulation 274, school boards must establish and maintain two occasional teacher lists:
O roster of occasional teachers (or “roster”);
O long term occasional teachers’ list (or “LTO list”).
The roster must include the names of all occasional teachers hired by the school board, the day each
teacher was placed on the roster, and a summary of each teacher’s teaching experience. A teacher’s
ranking on the roster is based on seniority. School boards are required to place the roster on their
websites, and must update their rosters regularly.
An occasional teacher on the roster may apply to be placed on the LTO list once s/he:
O has been on the roster for at least ten months; AND
O has taught as an occasional teacher with the school board for at least 20 days during a ten month
period. (Note: The ten month period must have taken place some time during the five years
preceding the teacher’s application to the LTO list.)
School boards must grant an interview to every occasional teacher on the roster who meets these
qualifications. Boards then determine, through a hiring process, which occasional teachers will be placed
on the LTO list. Being placed upon the LTO list only ensures an occasional teacher is eligible to apply for
LTO positions that become available; it does not guarantee hiring.
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