Frequently Asked Questions Elementary Occasional Teaching Division
Updated: June 2023
| Q1 | How many days must I work to remain on the OT list? |
| Article L10.04 Collective Agreement: OTs are required to work 20 assignments from September to June 1, to remain on the OT list. If this condition is not met OTs would be subject to annual purge that is done in June each year. | |
| Q2 | What is the probationary period for an OT? |
| Article L12.01 Collective Agreement: OTs are considered to be on probation until the employee has taught a minimum of twenty (20) instructional days worked in one (1) school year or thirty (30) instructional days worked in two (2) school years, as a casual or Long Term Occasional (LTO) teacher. | |
| Q3 | Can I defer my OT List start date? |
| We allow deferrals for up to one (1) school year only. Should you wish to be considered for the List after that period you would be required to re-interview for the OT list. | |
| Q4 | What should I do if I am going on maternity leave? |
| For all maternity leaves please send an email to otlistelementary@ocdsb.ca to obtain the leave request form. | |
| Q5 | When do I qualify for a leave of absence? |
| Article L11.02 Collective Agreement: Requesting a leave of absence for a full year: must have completed two (2) years of employment as an occasional teacher. For a partial leave of absence i.e. two (2) months or more but less than one (1) year, applications are made in writing to Human Resources Department.
Leave without pay for a full school year must be submitted in writing to the Human Resources department no later than November 30th for the year the leave is being requested. |
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| Q6 | When do I submit my QECO statements? |
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| Q7 | As an occasional teacher I have previous teaching experience. When does this get applied to my pay? |
| Send previous experience documentation right away so they are on your file before you obtain an assignment. Previous experience is used to determine your salary placement upon hiring into an LTO or contract.
Once you receive an LTO or contract position with the OCDSB you are assessed for credit for previous teaching experience within and outside of the OCDSB. Any changes to experience crediting shall be made effective in the following month in which the statement is received by Human Resources. Previous teaching experience must meet the requirements outlined in Article 14.03 of your Collective Agreement. |
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| Q8 | What is a Designated Occasional Teacher (DOT)? |
| The terms and conditions of employment for DOTs are SIMILAR to daily occasional teachers with the exception that they are guaranteed work five days per week. DOTs report to the same school (their “home” school) each day to fill same days absences and unfilled assignments, or to pay back prep time to teachers at that school. DOTs may be redeployed if they are not needed at their home school within a 10 km radius from their home school.
Currently available DOT opportunities will be posted on Apply to Education. |
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| Q9 | How do I apply to an LTO assignment? |
LTO Assignments are posted on www.applytoeducation.com
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| Q10 | What qualifications do I need to teach French with the OCDSB? |
| FSL Part 1 additional qualifications (AQ) or equivalent is required in order to be qualified and considered for French LTO assignments and contract positions.
To be placed in an LTO or contract in immersion subjects or core French, teachers must have successfully completed the OCDSBs French Assessment. You will receive an invite by email. |
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| Q11 | How do I accept occasional teaching assignments? |
Apply to Education – EasyConnect Call Out Strategy
EasyConnect – JobBoard
If you are unavailable on certain days, please ensure that you update your availability calendar on ATE. If you do not wish to receive phone calls/text after a certain time, you can use the Do Not Disturb option in ATE. By doing so, you will still receive offers via text/email. |
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| Q12 | What do I need to know about my pay? |
Your payroll contacts are: Payroll contact for Occasional Teachers, and Continuing Education programs, ROE (Record of Employment)
Long-term Occasional Teachers
Contact for TPP (Teachers’ Pension Plan) inquiries which is compulsory to join if you have ever been a member of the Ontario College of Teachers
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| Q13 | Where can I find additional information about Occasional Teaching? |
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| Q14 | Who do I contact for technical support? |
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Some of the FAQs from the June 2022 PD Day presentation on Staffing
1. To whom should we address cover letters? Is it appropriate to use terms such as ‘to whom it may concern’ or ‘to the hiring team’?
Cover letters should be addressed to the hiring manager / Principal of the location that you are applying to. If you do not know the Principal’s name at a specific location, you are able to use the School Directory, that is located on the Staff Portal, to assist you.
2. Can I use bring curriculum items I might use in the future as part of my portfolio but have not yet had a chance to use (ie. This is a reading program I found online, for this Grade 4 LTO/contract I would use it like this…)
You are able to use artifacts if they are relevant to the questions posed throughout the interview. You can also use a portfolio to further enhance your answers / showcase your knowledge and instructional practice. However, you want to ensure that this information is presented in an organized, thoughtful and relevant manner. If you are sifting through a variety of resources, and the item you are bringing forward doesn’t really add value to the question you are being asked, this can sometimes work unfavorably for you and take away from your interview response.
3. I want to be a DOT again next year. I would like to go back to my old school. How are the DOT interviews and/or positions chosen: Principal teams or HR?
Applicants may apply to any and all locations that are of interest to them. HR will provide principals with a listing of applicants and they complete their DOT selection.
4. How do we apply to be OTs for the elementary summer institute?
Opportunities to teach in our summer programming/institute are advertised on Apply to Education in April of each year. Please set alerts to be notified when vacancies are available within the OCDSB.
5. Do we have to tell our references about every job we apply for after we apply for it? What information is best used for you to contact our references (school emails, school phones, cell phones?)
It is important that you connect with those that you wish to use as references ahead of time to ensure that you have permission to use them as a “positive” reference. If you are applying to multiple jobs, all at the same time (for example – as part of spring staffing) you can let them know that they may receive a number of calls / emails as you are applying to a variety of different positions. You would not be required to continuously contact them regarding every different position that you apply for. However, if you ask to use their name as a reference for spring staffing, should you apply to something outside of this window, it is important to contact your references at that time to ensure they are still willing to provide a positive reference for you as well as to give them a heads up that they may be contacted. As references can be checked via phone or electronically, is it best that you obtain an email address for your reference and the phone number that they can be easily reached. The phone number they provide will typically be up to them in terms of their personal preferences / circumstances.
