Spencer Taintor, Head of School, Saint Mark’s Episcopal School

May 2026 — Invest: spoke with Spencer Taintor, head of school at Saint Mark’s Episcopal School, about how South Florida’s growth is shaping private education, the need to balance AI with foundational learning, and the role schools play in building future leaders. “Education is part of what makes growth sustainable,” Taintor said.

What changes over the past year have most impacted the school, and how have those changes shaped your priorities?

Over the last year, we have continued to see growth from people moving into the area. We have corporations and families relocating from other parts of the country, primarily from the New York region, Chicago, and California. That has been consistent over the last couple of years, and it continues to influence the private school market.

From an education standpoint, we are looking strategically at what that population growth means for our program. Families are seeking a high level of education for their children, and they want an experience that is equal or similar to what they had before relocating. That raises important questions for us about how we meet the demands of our market and how we make sure our students are ready for the next stage.

Many parents are thinking about AI and asking what it is going to do to education. For us, that means finding the right balance between technology in the classroom and traditional classroom techniques. There is still something very important about students doing their own thinking, writing, and arithmetic. AI is clearly going to play a role, and we need to prepare students for that future, but we also cannot lose sight of the creativity and problem-solving abilities that make people and communities successful.

St. Mark’s has a pre-K through eight model. What advantages does that provide for students and families in preparing for long-term success?

The challenge in education is that pressure has been moving downward for decades. As competition for top colleges increased, the pressure shifted to high schools, and then high schools began pushing more advanced work earlier and earlier. Students are certainly capable, but it also means they are often being accelerated at a pace that may not always be appropriate.

Where we benefit from Pre-K through eight is that we are able to stay focused on making sure students have a strong foundation in the core areas while also allowing them to mature at the right pace. By focusing on a specific age group, we can support their academic, social and emotional growth in a way that prepares them for high school rather than rushing them into it.

In many K-12 settings, students in seventh and eighth grade begin taking on high school-level expectations, whether in academics, athletics, or extracurriculars. Those can be great opportunities, but they can also create too much pressure too early. We want students to develop confidence and resilience first, so that when they enter high school, they are on an upward trajectory rather than already feeling worn down.

Just as importantly, the pre-K through eight model gives us time to focus on character development. We can take the time to teach moral foundations, healthy relationships, good habits and what it means to be a well-rounded person. Those are central to preparing young people for success.

How does that model support students’ social and emotional development?

Middle school is a period of enormous social and emotional growth, and too many schools move through that stage too quickly. Students may not yet be ready socially or emotionally for the expectations placed on them, and that can create issues later.

If we slow down and help them build confidence, we prepare them to advocate for themselves, ask questions, engage with teachers and handle healthy conflict with their peers. Those are important life skills, and they need to be developed intentionally. That is why the pre-K through eight model is so valuable. It allows us to stay focused on what students actually need at that age instead of pushing them toward the next milestone as quickly as possible.

Successful people are often self-driven because they are emotionally balanced and confident enough to face challenges, make mistakes and learn from them. That does not happen by accident. You have to build those habits through mentoring, guidance and daily conversations. Those early foundations matter tremendously.

How does education contribute to the broader regional economy and community growth in South Florida?

A strong community needs a strong education backbone. That includes universities, public schools, and private schools. You need all three. If you look at major metros with durable business ecosystems, they all have that mix, and it is critical not only for educating students but also for supporting the broader economy.

Education contributes to the workforce pipeline, but it also supports local jobs and infrastructure in its own right. We have seen more families and executives moving to South Florida, and one of the first questions they ask is where they are going to live and where their children are going to go to school. If companies want to relocate talent and grow here, those educational options need to be in place.

Education is part of what makes growth sustainable. You do not want a region that is attractive for a few years and then fades. You want long-term stability, and part of that comes from developing future leaders who are invested in the region. Many students who grow up here and attend strong schools return later as business leaders, civic leaders, and community stakeholders. That makes education an essential part of the region’s long-term success.

What role do partnerships play in strengthening outcomes for students?

Partnerships are extremely important because they connect classroom learning to real-world problem-solving. One example for us is our work around SeaLab, which is the first man-made tidal pool for a K-12 school in the United States. We created it to help students engage with issues like sea level rise and the economic challenges tied to climate and coastal resilience.

The goal is not just to get students to think about problems. It is to help them become solution solvers. We want them to look at the issues affecting their own community and feel empowered to lean into them rather than walk away from them.

A major partnership in that work has been with Nova Southeastern University’s Oceanographic Institute. Our students work alongside graduate-level research and explore topics such as microplastics, tidal flows and the effectiveness of natural versus artificial seawall barriers. That kind of partnership gives students exposure to real science and real expertise at a very early stage.

We also work with marine architects and engineers who come in and help students test ideas and understand why certain designs work or do not work. In addition, we partner with local nonprofits so students understand that part of education is learning how to serve and support the community. Those relationships deepen the educational experience and help students see how their learning connects to the world around them.

Is there anything else you would like readers to understand about education’s role in the region?

I would encourage business leaders and investors to bring education into the conversation earlier. Too often, education becomes a secondary thought, but it is foundational. If companies are investing in Fort Lauderdale and the greater South Florida area, they are also investing in a future workforce that will come out of our classrooms.

That means the conversation should include what skills will be needed over the next 10 years and how schools can help develop them. The more education is included as part of the solution, the more it can contribute. And that starts well before college. We are going to see continued transformation in education, including more students choosing direct pathways into the workforce when they have the right skills. Schools need to be part of that evolution from the beginning.