Mary L Spencer, MEd

Mary Spencer joined the Jones International University team in February 2009 as the new Teacher and Principal Preparation Program Manager.  In September 2009, Mary received a promotion to Director of the Master of Education programs.

Mary hails from the East, where she grew up in a small historic fishing village in southern Rhode Island.  Mary’s professional career as an educator began in the mid 1990s where she completed two year-long internships as an addictions counselor and a school social worker serving special education Brazilian students.  Upon graduation from the Masters of Education:  Counseling program at Boston University, Mary worked for Catholic Charities in a group home for emotionally disturbed Hispanic youth.

In 1998, Mary moved from the Boston area to Denver.  Shortly thereafter, Mary began her career as a literacy specialist.  The next six years involved clinical work with children and teens, specifically in the area of written and oral language development and remediation of reading disabilities.  In areas as diverse as Chicopee (MA) and Chuathbaluk (AK), the Denver Public Schools, and the Navajo Nation, Mary also worked directly with teachers, principals and literacy coaches to support PK-12 school improvement efforts for general education and gifted students, and students who struggled with reading, writing, mathematics and comprehension.

In 2006, Mary joined the Colorado Department of Education, where she continued to develop expertise in implementing effective school improvement models in urban and rural school districts across Colorado.  Mary worked as part of a team to provide onsite professional development and technical assistance to principals and teachers.  Notably, this team received recognition from Department leadership for positively impacting student achievement in 49 low performing schools in the areas of reading and comprehension.  Mary’s responsibilities also included fiscal management, data analysis and coordinating higher education initiatives aimed at developing quality educator preparation programs offered by institutions of higher education and Colorado school districts.

Mary’s current JIU responsibilities include:

(1)    Directing the Master of Education Programs to best ensure compliance with regulatory and accrediting bodies.

(2)    Directing the Master of Education Programs to best ensure high quality advising, counseling and service to students.

(3)    Directing the Master of Education Programs to best ensure high quality curriculum, instruction and assessment.  

(4)    Provide primary professional support to the School of Education Dean’s office.