SERT Special Education Resource Teacher Ontario: What They Do and What to Expect

If your child has an IEP, the SERT is probably the person you deal with most at the school level — and also the person whose actual role and responsibilities are least clearly explained to families. Parents sometimes treat the SERT as an all-purpose special education contact, which can lead to misunderstandings about what the SERT can change, what they are responsible for, and where their authority ends.

What a SERT Is

The Special Education Resource Teacher (SERT) — sometimes called a Learning Support Teacher (LST), Special Education Teacher, or Resource Teacher depending on the board — is a certified teacher with additional qualifications in special education. In Ontario, the qualification is typically the Specialist Certificate in Special Education.

SERTs are employed by school boards, assigned to one or more schools, and are responsible for coordinating and delivering special education services to students with identified needs. Their caseloads vary significantly by board and school — in well-resourced schools, a SERT might support 15-20 students; in under-resourced contexts, caseloads of 40 or more are not unheard of.

What a SERT Actually Does

The SERT's responsibilities typically include:

IEP development and coordination. The SERT is usually the person who drafts and coordinates the IEP. They gather input from classroom teachers, the student's previous IEPs, assessment reports, and parent input. The final IEP is a school document, not the SERT's personal product — it reflects the planning team's decisions and requires your agreement as a parent.

Resource withdrawal instruction. A SERT may work directly with students in a resource room or withdrawal setting — small group or individual instruction designed to address the goals in the IEP. The amount of time a student spends in resource withdrawal is specified in the IEP.

In-class support and co-teaching. In some schools and with some models, the SERT provides support within the regular classroom — either working alongside the teacher or directly with specific students during class time.

Coordination of EA support. The SERT typically supervises Education Assistants (EAs) and provides direction on how EA support should be delivered for specific students. The SERT does not usually hire or fire EAs — that is an administrative function — but they direct the instructional work EAs do with identified students.

Consultation with classroom teachers. A significant part of the SERT role in schools using a consultation model is advising classroom teachers on accommodation strategies, differentiated instruction, and how to implement an individual student's IEP within the regular class.

IPRC coordination. The SERT typically prepares the school-level information that goes before an IPRC and coordinates the paperwork and scheduling for the process.

Transition planning. The SERT leads or coordinates the development of the Transition Plan component of the IEP, including the Grade 8 to 9 transition (see IEP transition planning Ontario high school).

What a SERT Cannot Do

A SERT cannot unilaterally change your child's IPRC identification or placement decision — those are formal committee decisions. A SERT cannot override a principal's school management decisions, though they can raise concerns within the school team. A SERT working at a caseload of 35+ students cannot realistically provide frequent direct instruction to every student on their list — much of the support at high caseloads becomes consultation with classroom teachers rather than direct intervention with students.

If a SERT tells you that the IEP cannot include a service because "the board doesn't fund that" or "we don't do that here," it is worth asking whether that limitation is a policy, a resource constraint, or an interpretation of board capacity. These are not always the same thing, and understanding which it is changes how you escalate.

Understanding Your School Board's Special Education Plan

Every Ontario school board publishes a Special Education Plan that describes how special education programs and services are organized. The plan is reviewed annually and must be made available to the public. Reading your board's Special Education Plan tells you:

• What placement models the board uses and how they are described
• What the board says about SERT caseloads and how support is allocated
• The process for IPRC referrals and reviews
• What transition planning procedures the board follows
• What the board's SEAC has recommended and whether the board has accepted those recommendations

The plan is the board's public commitment about how the system works. If what your child is receiving does not match what the plan describes, that gap is worth raising — in writing, with the principal first, and then with the board's Special Education department if the school-level response is unsatisfactory.

Special Education Plans are typically available on the board's website or can be requested from the board's special education department. They vary considerably in quality and specificity — some are detailed and policy-rich, others are generic enough to describe almost any approach.

How to Work Effectively with a SERT

The most productive relationships between families and SERTs tend to share a few characteristics:

Regular written communication. Email, not just meetings. A dated email confirming what was discussed and agreed provides a record that is valuable if anything needs to be escalated later.

Specific questions. "Is my child making progress on their IEP goals?" is less productive than "Can you share the most recent data on Goal 2 from the IEP, and how that compares to where we started in September?"

Realistic expectations about caseload. A SERT with 35 students cannot provide 30 minutes of daily direct instruction to every child. Understanding what the SERT can realistically deliver helps you identify what additional supports might be needed and allows you to advocate for better resourcing without creating an unproductive adversarial dynamic.

Escalation when needed. If the SERT is not responsive, or if decisions are being made at a level above them (principal, board), escalating is appropriate. The SERT is the first point of contact, not the last.

For IEP tracking tools, questions to ask your child's SERT at each stage of the year, and templates for written communication with school staff, the Ontario IEP Guide covers the practical side of working within Ontario's special education support structure.

See more Canada homeschool guides →