All teacher members of OSSTF/FEESO should have a Certification Rating Statement (CRS) in their possession. This is the document that ensures you receive grid pay for teaching assignments—both Permanent and Long Term Occasional positions.
Every school board in the province will place a new salaried teacher at lowest level (Group 1) as a default position upon hire. But the vast majority of teachers can be placed in and receive the salary of a higher Group rating—either Group 2, 3, or 4. In fact approximately 90 per cent of initial applications result in a placement in Group 3. And every school board in the province will then place you at that higher Group level based on the CRS produced by OSSTF/FEESO.
Evaluations are done by the in-house Certification Department of OSSTF/FEESO as a service for all dues-paying members, including day-to-day supply teachers. If you are a daily occasional teacher on the OT Roster and you do not have a CRS you should go to the provincial website at www.osstf.on.ca and follow the Certification “Quick Links” to the Applications page. An online application is available for your convenience. Having a CRS in hand means that you will receive grid pay from the first day of any LTO position that you may obtain with no delay or effort required to chase retroactive pay for the assignment.
Far too many teacher members never engage with the Certification Department of OSSTF/FEESO to have their academic or trade backgrounds evaluated for pay purposes. Some needlessly remain in Group 1 for their entire careers and miss out on literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost salary. Others fail to get re-evaluated when they achieve new credentials that would lead to a higher Group rating. The attainable goal of all teacher members should be to get to a Group 4 placement as quickly, efficiently, and as inexpensively as possible. The Certification Department can assist in that planning.
In fact, the Certification system has seen extensive revisions in the last several years (outlined at the “Recent Changes” pages of the website) and many members will find that these beneficial rule changes will allow for Group increases without any further course work. If you are not at the highest Group 4 level and have not had a re-evaluation of your existing file then you could well be missing out on the opportunity for increased salary that will come with a rating change. Send in Certification Application Form #2 and request a review of existing credentials if you believe any of the changes apply to you. Send in the form regardless if you haven’t been re-evaluated in a few years.
The Certification Department of OSSTF/FEESO (1-800-267-7867) is available to advise you on any issues related to Group placement. Don’t lose out on hard-earned salary through a delay in applying for a CRS. It’s free to dues paying members. And don’t delay in taking the necessary courses for advancement. It is well worth the effort and expense.