Exploring Leadership and Ethical Practice Through Professional Inquiry

Deirdre Smith is the Manager of the Standards of Practice and Education division of the Ontario College of Teachers. In this capacity, Smith has led the collaborative development, with 10,000 educators and members of the public, of a set of ethical standards and standards of practice for the teaching profession that provide a collective vision of teacher professionalism in Ontario, Canada. These standards or principles of professional practice are a foundational core of teacher education programs in Ontario. Smith has also coordinated the policy development of over 300 Additional Qualification courses and programs for teacher and leadership education. As well, she has led the development of provincial multimedia inquiry-based resources for integration into Ontario's teacher education programs. Patricia F. Goldblatt, a former secondary school teacher of English and art has been published in numerous scholarly journals internationally, provincially and locally on topics that range from women's issues, multicultural teaching, art and education. Through her work as a program officer at the Ontario College of Teachers, she facilitated sessions with principals as well as preservice and in-service groups at faculties and in schools. Her collaborative research on standards with Deirdre Smith has resulted in presentations at ISATT, AERA, NSDC, CSSE and AACTE as well as a Sage publication based on the stories and commentaries of educators in Ontario, Cases for Teacher Development: Preparing for the Classroom.