Michael C. Spencer

Non-Partisan | Virginia

Michael C. Spencer websites FacebookBallotpedia

Candidate Profile

Norfolk Public Schools School Board, Ward 2 Virginia General and Special HD 20 | November 3, 2026

Leans Liberal

BIOGRAPHY

EDUCATION

Old Dominion University, Norfolk, MS Secondary Education -Math, 1968-1973

Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Master-School Administration, 1978-1981

WORK & MILITARY

Marine Corps Reserves, PFC, 1971-1973

AFFILIATIONS

Ghent Neigborhood League, President; Board Member, 1997-

POLITICAL OFFICES HELD

N/A

POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT

Norfolk School Board, 2026-

SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS


LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (4)

Abigail Spanberger (2025)

ActBlue (2025)

Jerrauld "Jay" Jones (2025)

Ralph Northam (2017)

RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)

SELECTED FINANCIAL SOURCE DOCUMENTS

Complete list of candidate's Campaign Finance Reports can be found on the Virginia State Board of Elections website.

OTHER INFORMATION

QUESTIONNAIRE

RIGHT TO LIFE

Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.

Strongly Agree

What role should the school serve in helping a student with an unwanted or crisis pregnancy?

Provide information to the student of community services that might be useful. If the student is under the age of 18, contacting the parent in a supporting capacity and hosting a safe space for mediation.


ECONOMY

Student loan forgiveness unfairly shifts the financial burden to those not responsible for student debt.

Agree

Having more people educated at a higher level benefits society as a whole. Holding debt over those students discourages more people from pursuing degrees in higher education and also discourages people with college degrees from taking lower paying jobs such as those in education due to anxiety over paying back loans.

What is your position on government funding of public education from Pre-K through college?

"Education is the best way to change our community." Nelson Mendela


RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

With regard to public schools, what does "separation of church and state" mean to you?

Religious doctrine should not be endorsed or taught in public schools. Students should be exposed to the structure and historical significance of religion through the social science curriculum.


IMMIGRATION

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enhances the safety and security of communities by identifying and detaining illegal aliens.

Strongly Disagree

Recent events have shown that aggressive enforcement of identifying and detaining illegal aliens is more disruptive to communities for both verified citizens and illegal aliens. In particular this has lead to people, especially children, feeling unsafe in their communities and schools. I believe we should be working as a society to help everyone feel safe.


EDUCATION

Abortion and gender-affirming providers, including Planned Parenthood, should be a resource for instruction or services in the school.

Strongly Disagree

Consequences for bad behavior create a safe and orderly environment, which is essential for student learning.

Agree

Consequences should not be as punitive- students are still developing and learning. Consequences should be natural and progressive. Consistency and a sense of fairness are essential- behavior that is corrected once and ignored or overlooked the next time, or behavior that is ignored in some students and punished in others, sends the wrong message. Only as a last response, should the student be removed the school setting.

Educators should give students a thorough education in America's founding documents and cultivate American patriotism.

Strongly Agree

I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.

Strongly Disagree

If you support the teaching of Sex Ed, please answer the following question: Sexual education should include these topics (list all that apply and add your own, if needed) -- abortion methods and side effects; abstinence; consent; contraceptive methods; human anatomy/the reproductive system; physical and emotional health outcomes; sex acts and pleasures of sex; sexual orientation and gender identity; stages of pregnancy and fetal development

Abstinence, contraceptive methods, human anatomy, physical and emotional outcomes, stages of pregnancy and fetal development

Please list in order the following priorities in relation to the role of a K-12 public school (omitting any that do not apply): American History, Art & Music, Civics, Critical Race Theory, Foreign Language, Gender Identity, Information Technology, Language Arts, Mathematics, Personal Finances, Physical Fitness, Political Activism, Science, Sexuality, Social Emotional Learning, Vocational Learning

Language Arts, Mathematics, American history, Physical Education, Science, Vocational Learning, Civics, Foreign Language, Art and Music, Information technology, Personal Finances

Public schools should prioritize academic achievement and building character necessary to preserve American traditions and self-government.

Agree

School choice creates competition, and that competition will push public schools to improve their educational systems.

Disagree


VALUES

Biological males should be allowed to participate in women's sports or occupy biological women's spaces whether it be bathrooms, locker rooms, sorority houses, women's shelters, or prison.

Strongly Disagree

Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.

One should be lead by a set of values gained through doctrine or personal beliefs that allow for self-determination for themselves and allows the same right to others.

Government should recognize and support the fundamental right and essential duty of parents to direct their child's health and educational well-being.

Strongly Agree

I support the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., that people should be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin.

Strongly Agree

Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.

Neutral

Mental health conditions such as anorexia and gender dysphoria need to be treated, not affirmed.

Neutral

School library books that have literary value, as determined by experts, should be exempt from obscenity laws.

Agree


ELECTIONS AND VOTING

People should be able to vote without photo identification.

Disagree


ABOUT YOU

Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.

No.

Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.

No.

I voted in these primaries and general elections:

2014 General Election 2016 General Election 2018 General Election 2020 General Election 2022 General Election

What political party are you affiliated with?

Independent

When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to immigration and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?

Lean Liberal


2ND AMENDMENT

Faculty who are licensed to carry and have had ongoing training should be allowed to carry guns at school in order to respond to an active shooter situation.

Strongly Disagree

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