Head of School
The Rev. Michael Spencer
Welcome to OES!
As you walk through the virtual portal of our website and explore all that OES has to offer, I hope that you experience the same excitement, enthusiasm, and eagerness to learn more that I too felt when I first read about this remarkable community. For me, those feelings were confirmed when I visited campus and met the wonderful faculty, staff, and students who make up the very special place that is Oregon Episcopal School.
With a history stretching back more than 150 years, OES remains true to its core values and mission as a boarding and day school that prepares students for lifelong learning through a holistic approach to education that nurtures mind, body, and spirit; cultivating leadership and inspiring us to “realize our power for good.” As a rigorous academic school, we are committed to the life of the mind through inquiry-based education: we learn by doing, engaging, researching, and collaborating as the architects of our education.
As a 21st century Episcopal school, we cultivate community, develop character, and engage with people, perspectives, and traditions that honor the enduring wisdom of humanity and our commitment to justice and service in the world. As an open and inclusive school, we strive to build a beloved community where all people are seen, known, and affirmed through a culture of equity, inclusion, and belonging.
This is a community where we can develop into the best versions of ourselves as students, scholars, athletes, and artists; where we cultivate joy in our learning and have fun together; and where we grow and live into our responsibility as kind, respectful, and engaged citizens of the world.
I hope this website invites you to learn more about the transformational experience that OES offers and to visit in person. We look forward to welcoming you!
Michael Spencer
Head of School
Learn More about Michael
Michael Spencer joins Oregon Episcopal School as its 15th Head of School and first person of color to lead Oregon Episcopal School since its founding in 1869. Michael began this position on July 1, 2023 as an accomplished leader, collaborator, and community builder with nearly three decades of education experience in administrative and academic roles at highly regarded independent schools.
OES Student Roundtable with Head of School Michael Spencer
Hot Ones Tribute Video with OES Board President Paul Ehrlich and Head of School Michael Spencer
73 Qs: Michael Spencer Tours the OES Gardens and Begins to Plant Roots
Biography
Before coming to OES, Michael worked from 2007-2023 at St. Paul’s School in Concord, NH where he served as vice rector for faculty (associate head of school), Humanities teacher, coach, dorm parent and, as dean of chapel, developed a distinctive and dynamic cathedral model for chaplaincy. As a relational educator, his commitment to the ministry of teaching began at Tabor Academy and then at The Taft School where he served for 10 years as school chaplain.
Read Recent Articles Written by Michael Spencer from these publications:
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The Living Church
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Independent School Magazine
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Anglican Theological Review
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Connections Quarterly, from the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education