Whitney Spalding Spencer

Director of Authorizer Development

Whitney Spalding Spencer is Director of Authorizer Development at NACSA. She is responsible for managing NACSA’s federal Charter Schools Program National Activities Grant work focused on identifying and disseminating authorizer best practices in charter school performance management, replication, and closure. Whitney previously served as the Director of Recruitment and Selection at the Chicago Public Schools Office of New Schools where she oversaw the recruitment and authorization of new charter and contract schools for the nation’s third largest school district. Whitney earned her A.B. in English from Princeton University.

Most Recent Posts

Here’s What Innovation Looks Like in Schools

The prevailing narrative about the pandemic and innovation is incomplete. Did the pandemic force America’s hand and finally propel innovation in schools? Did schools suddenly embrace new technology and begin...

How to Get Ahead: Invest in Performance Evaluations and Define Paths to Advancement

SEVENTH IN A SERIES Employees who are clear about how they’re doing, what they need to improve, what opportunities lie ahead, and how to get there, are more likely to...

‘Gap Busters’: Lessons from Charter Authorizers in Helping All Kids Achieve More

Accountability is fundamental to quality authorizing. Without it, we run the risk of not seeing the full educational picture in front of us and threaten our ability as educators and...