Kathy Broad and John P. Portelli to serve as Academic Directors: ITE and Graduate respectively

August 29, 2011

By Jennifer Sipos-Smith

The appointment of two new Academic Directors: Kathy Broad, academic director, initial teacher education; and, John P. Portelli, academic director, graduate education, was announced by OISE Dean Julia O’Sullivan today.  In their new roles, Kathy and John will work closely with Associate Dean, Programs Jeanne Watson with particular emphasis on the alignment of the Initial Teacher Education and graduate programs, and the integration of the goals of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education's (OISE's) new strategic plan, and forthcoming academic plan.

Kathy is a senior lecturer in the department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, and currently serves as executive director, Initial Teacher Education.  Kathy completed her undergraduate studies at Victoria College at U of T followed by a B.Ed., M.Ed., and PhD in Curriculum Studies at OISE. In 2001, she was seconded to OISE from the Bluewater District School Board where she was a teacher and principal, and then appointed as a lecturer at OISE in 2004.  Kathy has been recognized as an outstanding graduate and undergraduate teacher and has received several teaching excellence awards including the Excellence in Initial Teacher Education Award (2006). Her research engages with national and local educational issues including: teacher education, induction and development; international dimensions and inclusive practices in teacher education; deepening knowledge of aboriginal worldviews and histories in teacher education, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.   Kathy also brings her expertise in teacher education policies and practices. Support for Kathy’s nomination was overwhelming, and she has been described as “a superb choice.”  

John P. Portelli is a professor in the department of Theory and Policy Studies in Education (TPS) at OISE.  Currently, John serves as a co-director of the OISE Centre for Leadership and Diversity, the co-coordinator of the History and Philosophy of Education Program, and represents OISE on the Advisory Board of the Jackman Humanities Institute. John was born in Malta where he completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Malta followed by an MA and PhD at McGill University.   He was a Killam Post-Doctoral fellow at Dalhousie University and then taught at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, before arriving at OISE in 1999.   John has a distinguished teaching record at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and has taught as a visiting professor at many Canadian and international universities. His teaching and research interests include: educational policy analysis, philosophy of education, educational leadership and politics of education, as well as student engagement, critical pedagogy and curriculum.  Beyond his scholarship excellence and international stature, John is a member of the National Commission for Higher Education in Malta, an author of eight academic books, and two collections of poetry. John is well-known for his record of service at OISE and the University of Toronto, and has been describe as a “wonderful colleague.”   

Both Kathy and John had overwhelming support for their nominations. A special advisory committee comprised of OISE’s Ann Trakosas, Doug McDougall, Esther Geva, Jeanne Watson, Leslie Stewart Rose, Rinaldo Walcott, Suzanne Stewart, and Tony Chambers helped to guide the process. 

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