Chelsey Brassard, who graduated from the University of Ottawa’s education program in April, said she began her application for certification in May 2021 while still a student. Almost a year later, the OCT issued her a temporary certificate, an emergency measure to address teacher shortages caused by COVID-19. It is set to expire in December. Brassard wants to find a permanent teaching job, but says she can’t do that with the temporary certificate. “Without that full certificate, it stops my dreams. It stops my career from taking off,” Brassard said. “It really just puts a damper on my future.” Brassard said she called to inquire about her application several times, but would wait on hold for three or four hours before reaching a representative. When she received her provisional certificate in May, Brassard said she reached out to schools looking for emergency teaching positions and saw firsthand how high the demand for teachers is. “They called me every day from May and June,” he said.
“Mixed Messages”
Taylor Harnden also recently graduated from the University of Ottawa’s training program and began her application for certification in December 2021. She received a provisional certificate in May. “My process with OCTs was very, very frustrating from the beginning and sometimes worrying,” he said. Harnden said she ran into problems with her application and was initially told her degree, a relatively new program with Algonquin College, was not recognized by OCTs. Harnden, right, is among recent graduates who report “frustrating” delays in receiving their teaching certificates from OCTs. Seen here at her university in June 2022. (Submitted by Taylor Harnden) Despite calling multiple times and waiting on hold for hours before speaking with a representative, Harnden said the information she received was confusing and sometimes contradictory. “It’s just frustrating because they tell you not to call. But when you call, you get an answer and they have answers for you, but it’s all mixed messages,” he said. Those delays have also been a financial concern for Harnden, who said not having her full certificate has hindered her job search.
It contributes to the teacher shortage
Delays in OCT applications are increasingly common, said Joel Westheimer, a professor of the social foundations of education at the University of Ottawa and an education columnist for CBC Radio. She said she heard the application process was “incredibly frustrating” for many prospective teachers who spend hours on hold and can’t get a response to their emails. “It’s a little bit like calling the phone company,” she said, adding that she worries teachers feel disrespected by the whole process. Ontario currently has a “tremendous” need for teachers, says Joel Westheimer, and certification delays haven’t helped. (Submitted by Joel Westheimer) These delays come at a time when the need for teachers is “tremendous,” Westheimer explained. “We have a teacher shortage. We’re coming out of the pandemic. We desperately need young and energetic and enthusiastic teachers. We’re now using tons of temporary teachers filling positions that should be filled by certified teachers,” he said. It’s hard to even put numbers on the current demand for certified teachers, he added. A spokesman from the college said they had received a “much higher than normal volume” of documents, calls and emails and were working to get waiting times back to normal, including through increased staffing. Between Jan. 1 and June 1, 2022, the college said it certified more than 3,000 Ontario graduates, including provisional certificates. The college said all certificate applications are processed within 30 business days of receiving the required documents, and they expect this spring’s graduates to be certified in the coming weeks. CBC contacted the Ottawa Catholic School Board and the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board to inquire about teaching vacancies for the upcoming school year. Both councils said staff who would normally be able to facilitate the request are not available because they are currently on holiday.
