Letters of Permission Ontario Regulation 142/08 (Letters of Permission) and Applications for Letters of Permission Policy/Program Memorandum 147 Teaching Policy and Standards Branch Ministry of Education June 2008

2 Purpose To provide an overview of the recently filed Ontario Regulation 142/08 (Letters of Permission) and the accompanying Applications for Letters of Permission Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) 147

3 Overview Ontario Regulation 142/08 and PPM 147 were developed to replace Ontario Regulation 183/97 in order to enhance the Letter of Permission (LOP) application process by:  Increasing due diligence  Clarifying ambiguities  Refining LOP advertising requirements

4 Applying for Letters of Permission Per the May 21, 2008, memo from the Deputy Minister:  Ontario Regulation 142/08 and PPM 147 will come into effect on June 30,  Until that date, school boards must continue to submit applications for LOPs according to the requirements, and using the application form, set out in Ontario Regulation 183/97.  As of June 30, 2008, school boards must submit applications for LOPs according to the requirements set out in Ontario Regulation 142/08 and PPM 147.

5 Ontario Regulation 142/08 Addresses ambiguities in the advertising requirements for teaching positions and reflects practical differences between print and internet advertising. Requires school boards to declare that they have exercised due diligence to ensure student safety by:  Conducting professional and criminal reference checks;  Ensuring that LOP applicants have never been members of the Ontario College of Teachers; and  Collecting a written declaration that LOP applicants do not have teaching certificates that are revoked, cancelled or suspended in another jurisdiction other than for failure to pay fees.

6 Ontario Regulation 142/08 Adds a requirement that anyone hired under an LOP be 18 years of age or older and a high school graduate; and Revokes the provision that limits the granting of an LOP for a period that extends beyond the end of the school year in order to provide flexibility to accommodate courses that do not conform to the school year calendar.

7 Policy/Program Memorandum 147  The PPM supplements Ontario Regulation 142/08 by providing boards with:  Information about requirements for submitting an LOP application;  A description of the LOP application process; and  The new LOP application form.  School boards must declare, as part of the LOP application form, that the board has:  Met the requirements in Ontario Regulation 142/08; and  Reviewed its list of occasional teachers and has not identified an available or willing candidate for the position.

8 Policy/Program Memorandum 147 In addition to submitting the LOP application form, school boards are required to provide evidence, if asked to do so by the Ministry, that the board has fulfilled the advertising requirements set out in the new LOP regulation. School board staffing committees (or equivalent) are requested to review and discuss, at least once a year, the board-level LOP data provided by the Ministry.

9 Reference Material Ontario Regulation 142/08 can be found on the e-laws website at PPM 147 is posted on the ministry website at LOP Application Process – Comparison Chart Letters of Permission Qs & As

10 Conclusion If you have any questions, please contact the ministry office in your region.