In his letter to The Williams School Head Search Committee, Mike Spencer wrote, “I believe every child can learn and do so at high levels of understanding. In addition, every child has a desire to learn and to grow intellectually as well as socially. For this to be realized there are several variables that come into play. First, children need the active support of all of the influential adults in their lives. Parents, educators, and other significant figures need to act as teachers, mentors, and guides. Second, children need to be exposed to a challenging, relevant, and engaging body of knowledge not only in the school setting but throughout their day. Adults need to address each student’s natural curiosity as part of the learning process. Third, there needs to be a strong, positive, and productive relationship between the child and his teachers. This relationship, as much as anything, will produce an active learning environment. Last, the child must be taught in a safe, secure, and conducive learning environment. Of course, we expect the environment to be physically safe and secure. But it also needs to be academically safe, in which children are free to learn and express and experiment with new ideas and skills.”
Mike brings this educational philosophy, honed from 38 years of experience as an educator and administrator, to The Williams School which he believes does have the environment he outlines above. For the past eight years Mike has been the Chief Operations Officer of Norfolk Public Schools. Prior to that assignment, Mike was the Principal of Maury High School for eight years. While at Maury, Mike put in place resources that resulted in a lowering of the drop-out rate from 10% to 2% in just one year. He also resurrected the Maury Foundation, a non-profit foundation providing resources to the school. Mike was recognized as the Virginia Secondary Principal of the Year in 1999 due to his many achievements while at Maury.
After beginning his career as a math teacher, Mike served as Principal of two local middle schools, and as a Chief Public Information Officer. Mike also has deep experience in curriculum development at the elementary, middle and high school levels and has received numerous professional awards both as an educator and administrator.
A lifelong resident of Norfolk, Mike graduated from Old Dominion University with a BS in Secondary Education and an MS in Educational Administration. He has deep community roots serving as Chairman of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce Education Committee for seven years, as Board Member and President of the Ghent Neighborhood League, as well as serving on the Boards of Girls, Inc. and the Southeastern Virginia Chapter of the American Red Cross. Mike and his wife Karen have a daughter, Kate, and two grandchildren, Adam Spencer and Ryan Zackary.
