Karen Spencer
Ko Tarikākā te maunga te rū nei tōku ngākau. Ko te Kaiwharawhara te awa e mahea nei ōku māharahara. Nō Yorkshire o Ingarani ōku tupuna. He tauiwi ahau. Ko Enid Langley rāua ko Bill Spencer ōku mātua. Ko Neil tōku tane. Ko Evie rāua ko Flo ōku tāmariki. Kei Te Whanganui-a-Tara ahau e noho ana. Ko Karen Spencer tōku ingoa.
Karen has recently joined our Leadership Development Service team and is based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington.
The focus of her role is on school improvement in Aotearoa/New Zealand, and on the delivery and expansion of our international Leading by Learning work, especially in Australia.
Her educational philosophy is reflected in Ko te tamaiti te pūtake o te kaupapa — the young person at the heart. Their voices matter, as do those of their whānau, communities, and teachers. She is deeply invested in asking how we deliberately design equitable and inclusive leadership and learning to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to serve learners’ strengths and needs, reducing disparity.
Karen brings to this role over 30 years of experience in education and school leadership, including deep knowledge of leadership, curriculum, professional learning, and the education system in Aotearoa/New Zealand. This includes an understanding of how to approach strategic improvement leadership in schools, often in the context of complex national projects.
Most recently, Karen held the role of Chief Advisor with Te Poutāhū Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education, focusing on equity and inclusion. Previously, she has worked in New Zealand and the UK in roles spanning secondary school and Kāhui Ako leadership, educational consultancy, NCEA development, and national and international leadership of digitally-mediated education networks and services. She has supported local leadership through the Wellington Kāhui Ako network and the Wellington Loop.
Karen is an inspiring presenter and brings extensive professional facilitation experience. Her Masters’ dissertation (with Distinction) focused on how hybrid communities of practice can strengthen teachers’ practice. She has received the inaugural ICET Asia-Pacific Senior e-Fellow award, and the John Avery Scholarship from the University of Waikato. Karen has delivered numerous keynotes, including ULearn in 2016, and has contributed articles to leadership and educational publications.
To keep life in balance, she enjoys cycling, trail running in the beautiful Wellington hills (with the occasional ultramarathon), travel to enrich the soul, watching live music and spending time with her whānau. She enjoys reflecting on education on her blog and stays connected through online communities, LinkedIn, and X/Twitter.