Greetings Canadian Interns,

You may choose to send your OCT paperwork at the same time as you send the MDE paperwork.  Anything you can do to facilitate processing and get your certificate quicker will be good! 

 

After you receive your Michigan Teaching Certificate you will next be awaiting evaluation from the OCT. 

Please review your OCT Registration Guide the section on page 7 entitled: "Documents that institutions must submit for you"

 

The directions for this section need clarification.  "You will have to contact your educational institution" - this usually means us - Lake Superior State University, but NOT for item 3, page 8

 

You must personally contact the Michigan Department of Education to request item 3 -

the letter Statement of Professional Standing.   The OCT manual states that "this is a letter from a letter from a licensing institution, such as an education ministry, that states your right to teach has never been suspended, revoked or cancelled."  In Michigan, the licensing institution is the Michigan Department of Education.

 

After you have received your Michigan Certificate:

Contact:

Denise Dickenson, Secretary (517) 335-0588

Office of Professional Preparation and Certification Services

Michigan Department of Education

PO Box 30008, Lansing MI  48909

 

Request:

a "Statement of Professional Standing" be sent to the OCT which indicates that "your right to teach has never been suspended, revoked or cancelled."  Give the MDE your Name, Social Insurance Number and/or OCT Registration Number to include on the letter.  See our Form F360 on the LSSU Website

 

Have it sent to:

Lynda Palazzi, Membership Services Coordinator

Ontario College of Teachers

121 Bloor Street East

Toronto, ON  M4W 3M5

 888-534-2222 info@oct.ca

 

NEXT:

When you receive your Ontario Certificate it will read “interim provisional certificate” and place some additional provisions on you to qualify for full Ontario professional certification.  Do not worry!  The OCT office provided this information on the first certificate you will receive:

The 194 days of teaching experience is something all teachers trained outside of Ontario must complete in order to convert their certificate to permanent, the other condition that appears on the certificate pertains to the teacher's qualifying test, which they have done away with, but since it was part of legislation, they had to replace it with something, and they have replaced it with a mentoring program, which a new teacher cannot complete until they are full time with a board, unlike the 194 hours which can be completed anywhere.  The provisional certificate carries the same rights and responsibilities as a permanent  (submitted by M. Rains)