the school
In 2022, Felicia Wilks became The Spence School’s 15th Head of School, and the first Black woman to lead the School in its 130-year history. From its founding to its current life, The Spence School has championed the spirit of learning in a community of openness, virtue, warmth and joy. Built upon the foundations of intellectual inquiry and engagement, all constituencies of the community work in partnership toward furthering the enormous promise of every girl and every young woman in its fold. For Spence, learning is a behavior and not a means to an end. Since 1892, Spence’s dedication to a rigorous, liberal arts education has shaped their work. Liberal arts, often misunderstood in today’s world to include humanities only, lives for Spence in its original interpretation: a rich course of study free from any utilitarian goals and inclusive of all disciplines. Essential to the School’s enterprise is the understanding that meaningful and nuanced perspectives and multiple points of view fuel academic excellence: neither the world nor Spence is single or static. Spence’s community’s strength and their mission of “lifelong transformation of self and the world” are predicated on equity of voice in regard to race, gender, ethnicity, religion, and socioeconomic diversity and on the belief that a privileged education such as theirs requires an active commitment to their larger community. To learn more about The Spence School’s long range plan, visit their website.
TRUSTEE STATEMENT
“We commit to making Spence an inclusive, equitable and multi- identity community in which each student will build intellectual and moral capacity, not only for school but also for life. Spence young women enter the world as excellent scholars and engaged citizens, able to bridge differences and diverse points of view to meet the complex challenges of a changing world. Spence is an environment that embraces differences, honors identity and values full membership and belonging for all. Guided by our Community Standards, we stand up against exclusion, bias, racism and prejudice in all forms. While deepening our understanding and appreciation of a diverse community, we recognize the ongoing opportunities and the challenges inherent in learning from one another. Together, we find power and joy in working collaboratively to ensure that Spence is a place of ethical stance and substance, a place in which students, parents, faculty and administration cultivate personal integrity in service to the collective values of respect and trust.”
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