From Principal Cecelia Lewis: Lisa Spencer has contributed to the advancement of CCPS students and school communities for 17 years. Fourteen of those years have been as a special educator in the Behavior Development Program (BDP), most recently at Southern Middle. Lisa leads, supports, and cheers on all things SMS with a contagious positive attitude and a servant spirit.
In addition to teaching all middle-grade levels and all core subjects, if anything needs to be planned, covered, or supported, we can call on Ms. Spencer. This is evident in her interaction with every student as she greets them entering the building in the morning. She touches every student and staff member with her willingness to help with ANYTHING at ANY TIME.
Her social–emotional skill set is an asset to our entire community. She believes that everyone should prioritize social-emotional learning as a part of every lesson. Lisa is a master of restorative practices and is often called on to support other teachers and administration on best practices for de-escalation and crisis intervention. She is currently our Lead Special Educator, our Special Education Transition Lead, our Equity Liaison, our CEA Building Representative, and a mentor teacher.
Lisa also serves on the PBIS Committee, on the Including All Team, is a Saturday School teacher, and tutors students after school. Believe it or not, there’s more! Ms. Spencer is now a member of the newly formed CCPS Detracking Learning Team. She says she loves staying involved to ensure all students have a voice in our school and our school system.
A natural leader, she contributes a vast knowledge base, creative ideas, and an abundance of school spirit, no matter the occasion. Her smile is infectious, but her heart is the reason she has been selected as Southern Middle School’s Teacher of the Year.