Who is eligible to apply to Long Term Occasional (LTO) Positions?

Bluewater Elementary LTO Teacher List and Bluewater Elementary Occasional Teacher Roster candidates are considered at the same time, before external applicants (on Apply to Education) based on the criteria set forth in Policy/Program Memorandum No. 165:

  • Ontario College of Teachers’ membership, in good standing
  • Ontario College of Teachers’ qualifications
  • Best possible program and safety and well-being of students
  • Merit and additional qualifications and experience
  • Diversity and equity
  • Early-career educators

When can I apply for Permanent Positions?

For permanent postings, if you are not yet part time permanent, you are eligible to apply to the permanent postings framed like this on SharePoint: ## Ext Elementary Teacher – SCHOOL as a Bluewater Elementary LTO Teacher List or Bluewater Elementary Occasional Teacher Roster candidate based on the criteria set forth in PPM 165 (above).

Can I apply to other positions while in an LTO?
This is a bit tricky, but let’s break it down into these scenarios:

Can I accept more than one LTO at the same time?
You can apply to add a 0.4 Monday/Tuesday LTO if you are in a 0.2 Friday LTO. If two LTOs schedules don’t overlap, go for it.
Can I leave my current LTO for another LTO?
In general, you can apply to any LTO position that would improve your situation and leave the other LTO. Improving your situation would mean increasing FTE or a longer LTO. It does not mean a preferred school or grade. Barring extenuating circumstances, you should not apply to a 0.3 LTO where you need to give up a 0.8 LTO.
Can I leave my LTO for a small piece of a permanent position?
Yes, you can give up any amount of LTO in favour of any sized FTE permanent position.
Can I accept a small piece of permanent and immediately go on leave to finish my LTO?
When you have a 1.0 LTO and apply and obtain a small piece of permanent, you can not immediately go on leave from the permanent and finish the LTO, due to language in the Permanent Teacher Collective Agreement. You would be leaving the LTO entirely.
Can I leave part of my LTO to accept a piece of a permanent position?
There's no requirement for the Administrator, for instance, to break up a 1.0 LTO to keep you the 4 days if you left to take a permanent position on one day. They may, if they feel they would have a hard time filling the full time LTO, but they may also want to keep it intact, for consistency in that classroom, in which case you would have to give up the 1.0 LTO. It is the administrator's choice, you can ask, but it's not a requirement that they do so.
Can I work part-time permanent and part-time as an OT?
When you have a piece of permanent, you can certainly also work LTOs and Daily OT assignments if it works with your schedule. Keep in mind in order to remain on the OT Roster you must complete a minimum of 15 OT assignments in a year.
Can I accept a permanent position and continue to apply to other permanent positions?
If you accept a permanent position during the summer but see other permanent positions of interest you can continue to apply and interview for them as well. If you accept a new permanent position, inform the previous administrator immediately so the position can be re-posted.

What happened to Ontario Regulation 274/12? 
Ontario Regulation 274/12 was filed by the provincial government on September 11, 2012, under the Education Act. The regulation established steps all publicly funded school boards were required to follow when hiring for long-term occasional (LTO) and new permanent teaching positions. Under the regulation, school boards had to establish and maintain two occasional teacher lists: a roster of occasional teachers; and a long-term occasional teachers’ list. An occasional teacher’s ranking on the roster is based on seniority.

The Ministry of Education revoked Regulation 274 on October 29, 2020 and replaced it with an interim policy. This was ultimately replaced by the current Board Hiring Policy in accordance with the Policy/ Program Memorandum No. 165 on March 31, 2021.

What is my seniority date/rank?
Your seniority date is found on the OT Roster, found in O365 SharePoint Internal Home Site > Staff Resources > Occasional Teacher Lists/Rosters. When placed on the LTO List, your rank is based on your seniority date from the OT Roster.

When can I apply for the LTO List?
You can apply when you have been on the OT Roster for a minimum of 10 months and have taught 20 full days within a 10-month period in the last five years. In Bluewater, the LTO List opens up once a year in the Spring, posted in O365 SharePoint Job Postings.

Note: Just because you have done an LTO assignment, does not mean you are on the LTO List. 

What is the Performance Appraisal process for OTs in their first 4+ month-long LTO?
If you are in your first Bluewater Elementary LTO, of any full time equivalent (FTE) amount, of 4 months (80 school days) in length or greater you will go through the Occasional Teacher Performance Appraisal Process consisting of a pre-meeting, classroom observation, and post-meeting where you will receive and discuss the outcome of your OT Evaluation. Administrators should approach you about completing the Occasional Teacher Performance Appraisal Process but initiating the conversation early on when you begin your LTO can help to set out meeting dates to make sure it gets completed on time. Unfortunately, if your LTO ends sooner than expected because the incumbent returns or circumstances change, the opportunity to receive an OT Evaluation may be lost and hopefully, you will be in another qualifying LTO in the future to try again. Once you have a satisfactory OT Evaluation, you do not need, and should not have, another. If an Administrator requests you have another, please state that you have already had one. If they insist you have another, this is a red flag, and you should inform your Local President immediately.

LTO Evaluation Book

Cautions: The New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP) is for new permanent contract teachers. LTO teachers are sometimes included if budget allows, usually if they have not already had a satisfactory OT Evaluation and their LTO is 97 school days or longer. Being in NTIP as an LTO is less formal, and if you get a permanent contract, you will go through NTIP again but formally as a "new teacher".

  • LTOs do not need to have been included in NTIP (97 school days +) to get an OT Evaluation (80 school days +).
  • LTOs do not do permanent Teacher Performance Appraisals (TPA's).
  • LTOs do not do Annual Learning Plans. ALPs are a component of the permanent TPA process for experienced permanent teachers after having completed the NTIP Program as a permanent teacher. Even new permanent teachers are not required to complete ALPs, but an Individual NTIP Strategy Form instead.

Where do I find the OT Evaluation Form used in an LTO?
To access the Occasional Teacher Evaluation Form on SharePoint click "BWDSB Internal Home Site" then the link for "Forms, Templates and Reference Documents" and search for "AF 7165". This is the OT Evaluation form >

Can I be added to the LTO List or OT Roster without an interview?
In order to reduce the number of unfilled jobs, the occasional teacher bargaining unit and the board agreed to the following effective September 1, 2019:

Occasional Teachers who meet the criteria for an LTO list interview, the interview would be waived if they have a satisfactory OT Evaluation (AF 7165) and meet the criteria of being on the OT Roster for at least 10 months and completed 20 FTE days that have been worked in a period of 10 months within the last five years.

External LTO hires with a satisfactory performance appraisal would be added to the OT Roster if requested and there is space on the OT Roster.

If these scenarios apply to you, please contact the Local President, who will let you know who to contact at the Board with your scanned signed copy of your OT Evaluation to begin the process.