Chris Spence (educator) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christopher Spence
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| Director of Education, Toronto District School Board |
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| In office 2009–2013 |
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| Preceded by | Gerry Connelly |
| Succeeded by | Donna Quan |
| Director of Education, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board |
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| In office 2004–2009 |
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| Succeeded by | John Malloy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1962 (age 62–63) England |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Toronto |
| Alma mater | York University University of Toronto Ontario Institute for Studies in Education Simon Fraser University |
| Occupation | educator, public servant |
| Profession | football player |
Christopher M. Spence is a retired Canadian educator and author. He also used to be a Canadian football player. He served as the Director of Education for the Toronto District School Board and the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board.
Contents
About Christopher Spence
Christopher Spence was born in England in 1962. His parents were from Jamaica. He moved to Canada when he was three years old. He grew up and went to school in Windsor, Ontario.
Education and Football Career
Spence studied criminology at Simon Fraser University. He earned his first degree in 1985. He was also a talented football player. The BC Lions picked him in the 1985 CFL Draft. He played as a running back. His football career ended in 1988 due to an injury.
After his football career, Spence focused on education. He earned a teaching degree from York University. He later received two more degrees from the University of Toronto. One was a Master of Education degree in 1993. The other was a Doctor of Education degree in 1996.
Leading School Boards
Christopher Spence became a leader in education. He was the Director of Education for the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board. He held this role from 2004 to 2009.
In July 2009, he became the Director of Education for the Toronto District School Board. This is one of the largest school boards in Canada. He worked there until 2013.
Important Lessons Learned
In 2013, Christopher Spence apologized for using parts of other people's writing without giving them credit. This is called plagiarism. He had done this in an article he wrote for a newspaper.
Later, it was found that he had also used parts of other people's work in his 1996 doctoral paper. The University of Toronto looked into this. They decided that he had not followed academic rules. Because of this, his doctoral degree was taken away in 2017.
In 2016, the Ontario College of Teachers also looked into the matter. They decided to take away his teaching license. However, Spence appealed this decision. In 2018, he won his appeal. The tribunal agreed that his mental state at the time had affected his ability to function.
Books by Christopher Spence
Christopher Spence has also written books. These books share his thoughts on important topics.
- Skin I'm in: Racism, Sports and Education (2000)
- On Time! On Task! On a Mission! (2002)
