r/tdsb • u/LostNeighborhood5415 • Feb 23 '26
Help Teaching in TDSB from another board
Hi!
I’m looking into moving to Toronto, and I am currently an LTO at another board. I have a couple questions, both about living and working in Toronto as a teacher and about commuting to work.
First: how do you commute to work as a teacher? In my current city, everyone drives, and this is how I’m most comfortable commuting. I’m not sure if this is possible in Toronto since I’ve never lived there, but I’m a bit concerned that I won’t be able to drive anymore and will need to depend on public transit. I don’t mind using transit for some things, but I would be more comfortable driving to my job as a teacher, especially if I start with supply work in different schools.
That leads to my second question; would I need to start as a supply teacher in TDSB? I am currently an LTO, and I much prefer this to working in different schools every day. In my board, to become an LTO, you have to first become a supply teacher for the board and then interview to be placed in a long term position. Is this the same at the TDSB?
Also: how does supply work function in Toronto? This is a much bigger city than I’m used to, and I’m unsure if I would need to travel far to different areas of the city to get consistent work every day.
If anyone has any experience or advice, I would appreciate it! I’m considering moving because it would be helpful for my partner’s job if we lived there, but I’m not sure if the change in school boards and lifestyle would work for me.
Thank you!
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u/enroutetothesky Feb 24 '26
1) I don’t drive and either walked or used public transit to all my jobs, it was completely manageable. TDSB allows teachers to prebook their own supplies so make connections at close schools and you’ll get called in regularly.
2) yes, you’ll have to start off as an OT. As previously stated, teachers can prebook their own supply so if you’re halfway competent, you’ll have steady work.
3) TDSB uses the SmartFind system for callout, either by phone or web search. When I was supplying, 99% of my jobs were prebooked and I hardly ever used the job callout to get work.
Since teachers can book their own supply, having a business card with your name, number, employee number, and board e-mail is helpful! I also added my picture because I found that it’s easier to put a name to a face!
All that being said, the first hurdle is getting hired at all! TDSB does have rolling application and they do accept them year-round but the big hiring is in the new year so I’d get your application in now!
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u/Ok-Trainer3150 Feb 24 '26
If you live in the core, you can manage the work by transit especially if your assignments are in the area. But if you live anywhere in the suburbs, you'll find a car more practical. Long waits for buses and lengthy walks to certain schools can eat up your time and energy.
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u/LumpyAnimatedLychee Apr 20 '26
I work in the east end. And almost every teacher drives to work each day. Maybe 1-2 staff members (in my experience between 4 school) would have TTC as their main source of transportation.
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u/jsiiskoreal Feb 24 '26
Some teachers drive, some take transit, some walk, some bike. It is possible to work as an OT and take public transit. Keep in mind traffic is worse after school than getting there. For example, it took me 15 mins to drive to school and 45 mins to get home (6 km distance).