Master of Teaching Program:
POLICE RECORD CHECK INFORMATION
A Vulnerable Sector Screening and Criminal Record Check is a requirement to be placed in Master of Teaching partnership schools. The requirement is stipulated by each school board, and varies from board to board. This document addresses the expectations for Teacher Candidates, some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), and the police record check requirements for each of the MT partner boards.
FAQ’s
1. How do I go about obtaining my Police Record Check?
Police checks are obtained based on where you live, not where your practicum placement is expected to be. OISE’s Registrar’s Office (RO) has details and Police Department contacts and links at: http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/ro/Police_Checks/index.html As you will note on the RO website, for those of you who live in Toronto, the Toronto Police Services requires a signed form obtained from OISE’s Registrar’s Office (4th Floor). Please bring two pieces of photo identification. You’ll find a list of appropriate ID from the website above. If you require a letter to submit to Durham Police for the student rate, please send a request to
2. I received my Police Record Check in the mail and the date on it is April 20, 2015. When does it expire?
Police record checks have a date of issue, not a date of expiry. Someone with a police record check issued on April 20, 2015 could commit a criminal offense on April 21, 2015, so Boards use the date of issue as the reference point.
3. I received my Police Record Check in the mail and the date on it is April 20, 2015. Will this be acceptable for both the fall and winter practicum?
With the exception of the Peel District School Board (PDSB) and the Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB), Boards tend to accept a Police Record Check within 12 months from date of issue. The PDSB and DCDSB accept Police Record Checks within 6 months of date of issue.
If you have a Police Record Check issued on April 20, 2015, and you submit it to the Peel office prior to October 20, 2015, then Peel will accept this check for the entire academic year (i.e., for both the fall and the winter practicum). In Durham the Police Check is shared with each practicum school, not submitted to a central Board office. So an April 20, 2015 Police Check should be fine for the fall practicum, but it may not be accepted by a principal in Durham for the winter practicum. (In which case a TC would plan ahead and obtain another Police Record Check.)
4. Should I submit my Police Record Check to OISE?
No, OISE does not collect the police record checks. Keep your police record check in a safe place until you need it for practicum in the fall.
5. When will I know what Board I am placed in so that I can attend to the police record check requirement for that Board?
The MT Practicum Team works throughout the spring and early fall to place Teacher Candidates. The goal is to communicate placement information to each TC a few weeks prior to the first Field Experience Day. (Dates of the Field Experience Days and Practicum can be found on the Schedule on the MT Practicum website.)
6. I had to get a Police Record Check for my summer job. The date of issue is February 1, 2015. Will I have to get another police record check, or can I use this one?
If you are requesting a placement in the Peel District School Board or the Durham Catholic Board, you need to get a new police Record Check. If you are requesting a placement other than in Peel or Durham Catholic, then you should seek information directly from the relevant Board, as the February 1st date might be acceptable for the fall practicum, but not the Winter practicum. (You might consider getting another Police Record Check just to be safe.)
7. My current address is in London, Ontario, but I will be moving to Toronto in August. Where should I apply for my Police Record Check?
Apply in the region where you have a permanent address. Information about the process to obtain a police record check in Toronto, York, Peel, Halton and Durham, as well as the regions that are serviced by the OPP, is available at http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/ro/Police_Checks/index.html.
8. I am an International student arriving to Canada on September 1st. What should I do about obtaining a police record check?
Go to your local police service and tell them that your university program requires periods of unpaid student teaching and that you therefore require a Vulnerable Sector Police Screening because you will be working with young children. If the document you receive is not in English, you will need to get an official translation of the document. Once you have established residency in Ontario and have ID showing your address, you should then go to your local police service in Ontario and request a Vulnerable Sector Police Screening.
9. I have a notation on my police record check that I am worried about. Does this mean that I cannot get a placement?
The Police record screening will identify if you have a police record. It is then up to the individual school or school board to determine if the record is such that they would deny you entry to their school. A notation does not automatically mean that you cannot be placed in a school. You are encouraged to contact the Board directly to get further information, and/or contact the MT Partnership Office. You will never be asked to provide the University with specific information from the police and the University will not obtain this information from any other source.
See pages 4-6 for:
MT Partner Boards: Police Record Check Requirements
MT Partner Boards: Police Record Check Requirements
Toronto District School Board(TDSB) / Below is information from the TDSB website:
http://www.tdsb.on.ca/Community/HowtoGetInvolved/Volunteering/TutorsintheClassroom/Notices.aspx
Information for Student Practicums and Volunteers
All student practicum participants are required to have a Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS) completed by the police service in their area of residence (an existing VSS dated within 12 months of start date will be accepted).
The VSS must be delivered to the TDSB Police Reference Check Office before your start date (in person or by mail - faxes and e-mails are not accepted)
For additional information about Police Reference Checks, please contact: Aliki Pappas at 416-393-0759.
***************************
The TDSB Police Reference Check Office is located at:
17 Fairmeadows Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M2P 1W6.
Go to Office #107 in the school building located there.
https://www.google.ca/maps/place/17+Fairmeadow+Ave,+North+York,+ON+M2P+1M3/@43.7547177,-79.3975232,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x882b32a0b44063f5:0x81eca08feb77cde3
The location is accessible by TTC, and the TTC’s Trip Planner will help identify the best route (e.g., buses from York Mills station run every 30 minutes.)
Office hours are 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Bring an original of your police check, they will verify they have seen the original, take a photocopy of it for their records, andreturn the original to you.
Alternatively, you can mail your original to the office (address above) and include a stamped, self-addressed envelope and they will send the original back to you.
They will ask you for the school you are going to for practicum. If you don’t have this information yet, tell them the Master of Teaching program at OISE sends a list of all TCs placed in the TDSB and their placement schools prior to the start of the practicum.
Once the TDSB Police Record Check office has your check on file, it is acceptable for the entire academic year (fall and winter practicum.)
Toronto Catholic District School Board
(TCDSB) / TC's placed in a TCDSB school should be prepared to show their original Police Record Check to someone in the school office on the first Field Experience Day.
Any questions call:
(416) 222-8282 x2379, ask for Ine
Peel District
School Board
(PDSB) / Detailed information is available on the Boards’ website at:
http://www.peelschools.org/jobs/crc/Pages/default.aspx
The original copy of the Criminal Record Check, and any additional information requested, will become the property of the Peel District School Board, and will not be returned, copied or forwarded to any other institution or individual.The original Criminal Record Check should be hand delivered, if possible, to:
Human Resources Support Services, 2nd floor
5650 Hurontario Street
Mississauga, ON
L5R 1C6,
…in a sealed envelope addressed to Lisa Cruickshank, Employee Relations Officer, Criminal Record Checks/Professional Certification.The envelope should be marked confidential, include the applicant’s full name and nature of duties (employment, volunteer, placement, etc.), and the words “Criminal Record Check”. This is an important document. You should make a copy of your Criminal Record Check for your own records prior to submitting.
Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board
(DPCDSB) / The original or a copy certified by a Principal or Vice Principal of the school must be held at the School and handed in when you arrive at the school for practicum.
Halton District School Board
(HDSB) / The Halton District School Board requires you to hand your criminal reference check (Vulnerable screening) into the school.
The original copy of the Criminal Record Check must be provided. If the applicant wishes to keep the original copy, it must be photocopied by an employee of the Halton District School Board and signed by the employee “Original seen and copied” and their signature.
Updated information on the Halton public process is available on their website
http://www.hdsb.ca/Careers/Pages/CriminalRecordCheckRequirements.aspx
Halton Catholic
District School Board
(HCDSB) / For Universities in the Province of Ontario;
Vulnerable Sector/Police checks must be submitted and please note that in order for your students to be placed as student teachers with the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB), you must provide Human Resources Services (attention Joanne Jurus) documentation indicating that they are insured by our legislated, mandatory, workers insurance program in Ontario known as WSIB, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. In addition, HCDSB will require the name and contact information of the individual at your University that we are to inform in the event a student teacher is injured while in their job placement. If this documentation is not received prior to their placement date, their placement will be cancelled.
http://www.hcdsb.org/Careers/Pages/criminalRecordsCheck.aspx
York Catholic District School Board
(YCDSB) / TC's placed in a YCDSB school should be prepared to show their Police Record Check to someone in the school office on the first Field Experience Day.
York Region District School Board
(YRDSB) / TC's placed in a YRDSB school should be prepared to show their Police Record Check to someone in the school office on the first Field Experience Day.
Durham District School Board
(DDSB) / TC's placed in a DDSB school should be prepared to show their Police Record Check to someone in the school office on the first Field Experience Day.
Durham Catholic District School Board
(DCDSB) / Police checks with a date of issue within 6 months from the start date of practicum can be submitted to Sonja Ruby at the Durham Catholic Board office. (Please confirm this information by calling the Board office).
NOTE:
This information may change. It is a student’s responsibility to ensure that the information you have is up to date and accurate.
Updated May 20, 2015 Page 1 of 1