February 2003

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In This Issue:

• College Names W. Douglas Wilson as Registrar and Chief Executive Officer
• Atkinson Foundation Honours Outgoing Registrar

College Names W. Douglas Wilson as Registrar and Chief Executive Officer

The Ontario College of Teachers is pleased to announce that W. Douglas Wilson has been named Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, effective March 31.

"We are fortunate to have such an accomplished and experienced educator to lead the College," said Larry Capstick, Chair of the College Council. "Doug has the leadership skills and the commitment to the teaching profession that will be of great benefit in our new Registrar."

"I am delighted to be appointed as the new head of the College," said Wilson. "In the time I have been with the College, I have been very impressed at how well the College's work and its professionalism serve our members."

"We recognize that our members play an extremely important role in student learning. They work very hard for their students and for public education and the College believes they should be valued for their dedication. I am very pleased that I will have the opportunity to lead College initiatives to support our members in their very important work."

Wilson is currently Deputy Registrar of the College. He has worked in education for 35 years - primarily with the Durham District School Board - as teacher, principal and board of education superintendent. He joined the College in September 1999 as Manager of the Standards of Practice and Education Unit. He became Deputy Registrar on January 1, 2001.

As Manager of Standards of Practice and Education Unit, Wilson was actively involved in the development of the College's Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession, the Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession and the Professional Learning Framework for the Teaching Profession.

As Deputy Registrar, Wilson led the project team that implemented the Professional Learning Program (PLP), facilitated the development of the College's first professional advisory and represented the College at Ministry of Education consultations on the PLP and the Ontario Teacher Qualifying Test.

A highlight of Wilson's career has been the authorship of a number of Canadian history textbooks for Oxford University Press. Most of the textbooks were developed for students of Grades 7 through 10 and are used throughout the Ontario school system today.

Wilson holds a Masters of Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario.

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Atkinson Foundation Honours Outgoing Registrar

A new College-created charitable foundation will award scholarships, bursaries and prizes to help educate teachers or those wishing to become teachers. It will be the foundation's role to establish, finance and administer the Joe Atkinson Scholarship for Excellence in Teacher Education.

Named in honour of the College's second Registrar, the annual $2,000 scholarship will contribute to the tuition of a student enrolled in one of Ontario's faculties of education. The award will acknowledge high academic achievement at the undergraduate level and evidence of other achievement and experience that indicates a high level of preparedness to teacher education.

The first award will be made to a student in the teacher education class of 2003-04. Teacher education candidates accepted into Ontario consecutive programs and concurrent candidates proceeding to their final year in 2003-04 can apply.

Atkinson, a career educator with an international reputation as a proponent of ongoing teacher education, joined the College in 1997 and served as Co-ordinator of Professional Affairs and as Deputy Registrar before becoming Registrar in November 2000. A tribute dinner is planned for February 27 to honour Atkinson who retires officially at the end of March.

To make a tax-deductible donation to the Joe Atkinson Scholarship for Excellence in Teacher Education, please send your contribution to the Ontario College of Teachers Foundation, 121 Bloor Street East, 6th Floor, Toronto ON M4W 3M5.