Fifth council

Council chooses Chair and Vice-Chair

Liz Papadopoulos, OCT, was selected by her peers to serve as Chair of the fifth Council of the Ontario College of Teachers.

“I am thrilled to have been chosen to represent our profession as the fifth Chair of the College Council. Teachers bring their heads and hearts to the noblest cause of all – helping students to realize their potential and reach their dreams,” says Papadopoulos. “I am looking forward to continuing to enhance and promote the professionalism of our members.”

Papadopoulos is a Grade 8 and Special Education teacher with the Toronto DSB. She began teaching in 1991 and has taught students from kindergarten through Grade 8. She holds specialist qualifications in English as a Second Language and in physical and health education.

Papadopoulos returns to the College after a three-year hiatus. From 2000 to 2006 she was a College Council member and served as Investigation Committee Chair, Accreditation Appeal Committee Chair, Finance Committee Vice-Chair, Election Committee Vice-Chair and as an Executive Committee member.

“I always speak proudly as a teacher in support of teachers’ integrity and professionalism and never lose sight of the mandate of the College that what we do is in the public interest,” she adds.

Papadopoulos has been actively involved in teacher federation activities locally, provincially and nationally and was vice-president of the ETFO Toronto local for several years.

She holds a BA from York University and an MSc in education from Niagara University. Her College registration number is 187328.

Vice-Chair

Council chose Ruth Ann Penny, OCT, as its Vice-Chair. Penny recently served as Director of Admissions at Branksome Hall, an independent girls’ school in Toronto. She currently teaches on an occasional basis.

Penny says she is excited and honoured to be elected Vice-Chair and will work to support the Chair and Council.

This is her second term on Council. She served as a member of the Standards of Practice and Education Committee and was Vice-Chair of the Accreditation Committee.

She began teaching in 1976 and has taught in both public and private schools across the province. She began as a kindergarten teacher and went on to teach French and middle school gifted students in English-language schools, and languages and social sciences in French Immersion schools.

She has served as an elementary vice-principal, principal and consultant, a collective bargaining representative for the FWTAO, a Ministry of Education trainer and a system-wide PD leader in the area of leadership development.

Penny has a BA from McMaster University, a BEd from Laurentian University and an MA from the University of Toronto. Her College registration number is 150717.