About

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. Kei Te Whanganui-a-Tara ahau e noho ana. Ko Karen Spencer tōku ingoa.

Current bio — updated 2025

I have recently joined the Leadership Development Service team in Evaluation Associates | Te Huina Kākākura Mātauranga and am based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington.

The focus of my 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.

My 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. I am 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.

I bring 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, I held the role of Chief Advisor with Te Poutāhū Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education, focusing on equity and inclusion. Previously, I 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. I have supported local leadership through the Wellington Kāhui Ako network and the Wellington Loop.

I am an inspiring presenter and bring extensive professional facilitation experience. My Masters’ dissertation (with Distinction) focused on how hybrid communities of practice can strengthen teachers’ practice. I have received the inaugural ICET Asia-Pacific Senior e-Fellow award, and the John Avery Scholarship from the University of Waikato. I have delivered numerous keynotes, including ULearn in 2016, and have 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.

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This blog has been my online ‘home’ since 2007 – a space for pondering, sharing resources and pulling threads together. You can also find me here:

• LinkedIn
• Bluesky: Karen Spencer | @virtuallykaren
• Enabling e-Learning: A previous project, an online community for educators.
• The Virtual Learning Network Groups: One of the largest social networks for NZ educators
• GoodReads
• Slideshare: My presentations
• YouTube: Check out my edu-playlists
• Archived: @virtuallykaren on Twitter: Catch the chat.