Interview with an Expert: Lisa Spengler

Our June issue of “Interview with an Expert” features Lisa Spengler, a stellar educational consultant with vast experience in all facets of education and a passion for supporting families. 

With over thirty years of experience in schools, from the admission office to secondary school placement counseling and the classroom, Lisa brings an extraordinary amount of experience to her work with each and every family.

A student-centered, mindful approach to school admission places self-discovery at the heart of Lisa’s work with families.

She utilizes her background and expertise in middle and secondary schools to support families searching for day and/or boarding options. She offers comprehensive and customized services each admission season in order to provide the personal, high-touch support that families need and deserve throughout what can, but doesn’t have to be, an all-consuming process.

After many years of working in schools, Lisa is excited to venture out on her own, to once again work closely with families and shepherd them through the admissions process.

How did you get into the educational consulting field? What made you decide to venture out on your own?

I did my student teaching in 1989 and have been working in schools ever since, as a teacher and administrator. For ten years in San Francisco, I served as the High School Counselor at Katherine Delmar Burke School, which was an incredibly fulfilling experience. Getting to know students and their families deeply and building strong relationships with schools throughout North America was a gift both professionally and personally. Most recently, I have been the Director of Admission and Enrollment at Cate School in Carpinteria, California. Cate rounded out my overall professional experience--I have now lived and worked in a boarding school, so I have all the bases pretty much covered--day, boarding, public, private, parochial, co-ed and single gender. What an incredible 30+years!

Covid afforded my wife and I the chance to sit back and consider our future in an intentional way. Ultimately, transitioning into educational consulting made the most sense as it allows me to play on my strengths and experience, and get back to working individually with families. I have vast experience supporting families through school searches and I have built meaningful relationships with admission personnel at schools far and wide. While I am excited to be doing work outside of schools, leaving families and schools all together was just really not an option.

How has the field of education changed since you started?

My career started before email. Full stop! The amount of time that teachers and administrators spend on email is extraordinary. If we could cut the volume of emails by half, teachers would have more time with students and for planning curriculum. Work life balance would no doubt improve as well--that pull to email in the evenings or early mornings can be quite strong so as not to go into work overwhelmed with messages.

For students, the landscape has changed a great deal in my 30+ years. The pressure, wherever it comes from, to accelerate, to achieve, to build a resume or portfolio from a very young age is developmentally inappropriate. They are being asked to define themselves way too early! At 13 or 14, I hope kids can enjoy and perhaps be moved by an activity or a subject, but not see themselves solely as that thing. During an interview coaching session, it can still surprise me when a student remarks that they are “terrible at math” because they have an A- in that class. These pressures can also push them into a competitive mindset with their peers and impact their ability to build healthy relationships.

What do you find most exciting about education right now?

Two things are most exciting to me right now: the pace of change and the greater attention schools are giving to diversity, equity and inclusion. The pace of change in schools is traditionally glacial. It can take years if not decades to alter what is taught and how it is taught. Kids lose out in that process too often. Schools had to change very quickly last spring as they started to close down at the onset of the pandemic in the United States. I think today we have a deeper understanding of the importance of brick and mortar schools while also seeing the ways in which technology can expand education. As this school year winds down, it’s clear that the way that we have done school for the last several decades is not completely effective. I am hopeful that all schools will be able to reflect on what went well and where they fell short this school year, and make the changes and adjustments necessary before school begins again. The possibilities for the future are incredibly exciting if we can let go of tradition and change expectations.

I am also excited about the changes that schools are making with regards to diversity, equity and inclusion. It’s devastating that the catalyst for this essential work was George Floyd’s horrific murder. Schools are digging in, examining their practices and making important changes. One example is the conversations that are happening in admission offices around the country at every level with regards to the use of standardized tests as an admission tool. Covid helped to jump start this conversation when access to tests became a significant challenge, and at many schools the conversation is now one centered solely on equity. It’s exciting to watch school really dig deep to assess their values and then see them align those values with their practices.

Tell us your most inspirational story from your career.

This is tough as there have been so many inspirational stories over the years! What a gift it is to watch young people grow into themselves--to find their voice, to explore and own their identity, to build empathy and compassion for others, to find professional and personal fulfillment.

The one story I will relate that continues to inspire me to this day was with a student named Lily. In addition to serving as the High School Counselor at Burke’s, I also taught Public Speaking to 7th graders. It turned out that giving a speech in front of the entire Upper School was her worst nightmare; Lily was petrified. An incredibly bright, thoughtful and capable student, she struggled to even write the speech, let alone practice in front of her classmates. On her first attempt to deliver the speech to the Upper School, Lily couldn’t do it. It was painful for everyone in the audience, but most especially for Lily. She knew this was a fear she needed to conquer though, so she persevered, and weeks later stood before 200 students and teachers and delivered that speech--she was tearful and shaking the entire time, yet she did it and I was so proud of her and happy for her. It was a big deal!

The result of this accomplishment became apparent the following year, when she really needed to use her voice with her parents during the high school search process. Lily was able to get her thoughts on paper, think clearly about what she needed to say and why, and stand up for what she knew she needed and wanted. Ultimately, they were able to hear her and see her for the young woman she was becoming, and honored her wish to go attend a fantastic boarding school on the east coast. At the end of that year, Lily wrote in my yearbook, “I can honestly say that you’ve changed my life and I cannot express how grateful I am for that.” For those who know me, you can easily picture the tears when I read that the first time, and the tears it still brings today.

What Lily couldn’t understand at the time, but may be able to now is how she changed my life. Working with her, watching her grow and face incredible challenges, that made me a better human and a better educator.

What’s a message you would like to send out to parents, students, and teachers who are reading this right now?

I could spend days answering this question, so I will try to keep this short and sweet! For parents and teachers, love these kids for who they are and where they are--see them, celebrate them, encourage them and push them forward at the appropriate pace. Listen closely to them; they often hold great wisdom and the answers we need.

For students, know that life is a marathon and not a sprint. You do not need to define yourself just yet, or ever. Be adventurous and curious, be open-minded and compassionate, and read everything you can get your hands on!

Thanks so much to Lisa for providing us with such a compelling glimpse into her experience and educational consulting. If you’re interested in working with Lisa, you can contact her at this link.

To learn more about Pacific Preparatory, request a consultation here and we’ll be in touch.