Jake Tawney has been enamored by mathematics for as long as he can remember, but he truly fell in love with it during a college course on mathematical proofs. After completing a degree in mathematics and computer science from Denison University, he continued his studies at The Ohio State University. There he earned a master’s degree in mathematics, submitting a thesis on the mathematics of juggling. In Ohio, Jake taught at Upper Arlington High School and the Pontifical College Josephinum. In 2014, he relocated his family to Phoenix, Arizona, to join Great Hearts Academies, where he most recently served as the chief academic officer. In 2026, Jake joined the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education where he currently serves as the Director of Curriculum and Academic Resources.

Jake is the author of Another Sort of Mathematics, available through Encounter Books, as well as a primer on teaching Euclid available through Cana Academy.

McWilliams is the author of The American Road Trip and American Political Thought (Lexington, 2018), Traveling Back: Toward a Global Political Theory (Oxford, 2014), and Mark Twain: America's Political Philosopher (with Wilson Carey McWilliams, Notre Dame, forthcoming). She is also the editor of A Political Companion to James Baldwin (Kentucky, 2017) and a co-editor of several books, including The Best Kind of College: An Insiders’ Guide to America's Small Liberal Arts Colleges (with John Seery, SUNY, 2015) and The Princeton History of American Political Thought (with Nicholas Buccola and Roosevelt Montás, Princeton, forthcoming). She has received accolades including the Graves Award in the Humanities, a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship and the Jack Miller Center's Teaching Excellence Award in Higher Education.

For over twenty-six years, Carrie Eben has championed classical education in both private school and homeschool classrooms. She currently serves as founding board member at Sager Classical Academy in Siloam Springs, AR and is a CiRCE Institute Head Mentor for the Ozark Mountain region Master Teacher Apprenticeship. As a consultant, she develops and delivers customized workshops and mentorship for administrators, teachers, and parents in both classical school and homeschool settings (www.classicaleben.com). Carrie holds a BSE in Intermediate Education, a MSEd in Curriculum and Instruction from Oklahoma State University and is currently a PhD candidate in the Great Books Humanities program at Faulkner University. She is co-author of The Good Teacher: Ten Pedagogical Principles That Will Transform Your Teaching with Dr. Christopher Perrin.

Shannon Richards is the Senior Creative Director for Great Hearts America, where she leads creative strategy, marketing, communications, and storytelling across the Great Hearts network. She has spent nearly a decade helping Great Hearts explain classical education to modern families, which occasionally means finding a way to make words like “Euclid” and “Humane Letters” feel perfectly normal in a Facebook ad. Before Great Hearts, Shannon spent much of her career in television and media and is a two-time Emmy Award-winning producer. Over more than 25 years, she has worked across broadcast journalism, digital media, marketing, public relations, brand strategy, and video production. Shannon believes great stories make complicated ideas easier to understand and important ideas harder to ignore. She is especially passionate about helping classical education communicate its mission clearly, authentically, and without sounding like it was written exclusively for people who own several volumes of Plato.

Natalie Wexler is an education writer who has spoken before a wide range of audiences in the U.S. and elsewhere, focusing on literacy, cognitive science, and fairness. She is the author of Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning and The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—And How to Fix It, and the co-author of The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades. She blogs at her free Substack newsletter, Minding the Gap, and is the host of Season One of the Knowledge Matters Podcast (“Reading Comprehension Revisited”) and a co-host of Season Three (“Literacy and the Science of Learning”). She holds a BA from Harvard College, an MA in history from the University of Sussex, and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania.

Tony Cruz is excited to continue to lead within Great Hearts at Roosevelt Preparatory Academy as its founding Prep Headmaster. He brings over 20 years of leadership experience from within for-profit and non-profit sectors, including the past 12 years with helping to support the launch of the latest two schools within the Great Hearts network, Maryvale Preparatory Academy (Title I) and now Roosevelt Prep. Originally pursuing a degree in Choral Education, Mr. Cruz holds a B.A in Theatre and a master's in Biblical and Theological Studies, with an emphasis on Interpretations of Texts in Hebrew and Greek. He moved to the far West Valley with his family and believes his greatest legacy will be to introduce a growing community to the beauty of a classical, liberal arts education.

Nick is a director, actor and lecturer on Shakespeare. He has directed at the Globe, the Wanamaker Theatre, Wilton’s Music Hall, St James’s Theatre, Folger Theatre in Washington DC, Tmu-na Theatre in Tel Aviv, the McCoy Theater in Memphis and at the ASC in Virginia. 

He is an Associate Tutor at RADA, LAMDA, and Shakespeare’s Globe, and he has directed for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the Lir Academy, BADA, Mountview, Rhodes College, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Case Western Reserve University and the NYU. 

As an actor he worked with the RSC, the National Theatre, the Globe Theatre, on the BBC and ITV, and appeared as John in the movie About A Boy. 

He lectures worldwide on Shakespeare, had a paper published in Shakespeare Bulletin and contributed to How and Why We Teach Shakespeare and Why The Theatre?, and is the recipient of the 2026 Burbage Award.

Beanie Geoghegan is Co-Founder and Senior Advisor, Literacy and Educator Engagement at Freedom in Education. Her work focuses particularly on literacy, including the importance of whole books, challenging and worthwhile texts, direct instruction, and building the knowledge students need to become strong readers and thinkers. With more than two decades of experience as a teacher, parent, volunteer, and education advocate, Beanie brings a practical understanding of the classroom and the critical role high- quality curriculum and instruction play in student learning. She also leads Freedom in Education’s efforts to identify high-quality, grade-appropriate literature and to connect educators and school leaders with experts and resources that can strengthen teaching and learning. Today, she is a passionate advocate for ensuring that every child has access to rich content, excellent literature, explicit instruction, and books that challenge students to think deeply and encounter ideas that are true, good, and beautiful.

Dr. David Diener is an Assistant Professor of Education at Hillsdale College and the Executive Director of the Alcuin Fellowship. Previously he spent fifteen years in K-12 education, eleven of those in administration and eight as headmaster of classical Christian schools. He serves on the Board of Directors for SCL and the Board of Academic Advisors for CLT. He has authored multiple books including Plato: The Great Philosopher-Educator and La educación clásica cristiana: una colección de ensayos. He also serves as the series editor for Classical Academic Press’ series Giants in the History of Education and is an associate editor for the journal Principia: A Journal of Classical Education. He holds a BA in Philosophy and Ancient Languages from Wheaton College as well as an MA in Philosophy, an MS in History and Philosophy of Education, and a dual PhD in Philosophy and Philosophy of Education from Indiana University.

Mark Bauerlein is Contributing Editor at First Things, trustee at New College of Florida, and Professor Emeritus of English at Emory University, where he taught after earning his PhD in English at UCLA in 1988. For two years, he served as Director of the Office of Research and Analysis at the National Endowment for the Arts. His books include Whitman and the American Idiom, Literary Criticism: An Autopsy, The Pragmatic Mind: Explorations in the Psychology of Belief, The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future, and The Dumbest Generation Grows Up: From Stupefied Youth to Dangerous Adults. His commentaries have appeared in PMLA, Philosophy and Literature, Yale Review, Chronicle of Higher Education, TLS, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Boston Globe, New York Post, and other national periodicals.

William Perales worked in Catholic education for over twenty years as a teacher, coach, and principal at both the elementary and high school levels before joining the University of Dallas. While in K-12, he led and assisted schools moving to a classical liberal arts vision, designed curriculum, and led professional development workshops. In the Diocese of Fort Worth, he served on their Curriculum Committee and assisted with developing and communicating the Catholic classical vision for diocesan Catholic schools. He helped establish and led instruction in Fort Worth’s New Teacher Formation Institute, introducing teachers to the vision of Catholic education while forming them in instructional approaches that are rooted in the liberal arts tradition of cultivating the imagination, faith, virtue, and wisdom, much of which guides the current work of UD's Saint Ambrose Center.

Casey Churchill has had a long history with Core Knowledge. He has experience with the Core Knowledge Curriculum through classroom teaching, administration, and consultant work with schools. He started working with the Core Knowledge curriculum as a 3rd and 6th grade teacher in Rochester, MN. After teaching in the Rochester public schools for 6 years, he decided to move to Colorado where he joined Liberty Common School as a 6th grade teacher. Casey has taught for a total of 11 years in the classroom at both the elementary and middle school levels. After teaching, Casey wanted to try his hand at administration. He completed his principal licensure in 2009 at Colorado State University and is currently the Principal at Liberty Common School. Casey has been a National Core Knowledge consultant since 2000 and travels the country helping start schools and analyze the implementation after schools have adopted the curriculum.

Conal Tanner hails from Ottawa, Canada. At sixteen he went to a classical education boarding school in Pennsylvania, and there began his lifelong love of learning and passion for truth. After completing his undergraduate at Thomas Aquinas College, Conal spent three years serving in the Canadian Army. He then received a B.Ed. and became a licensed teacher. Conal returned to the US to work at Great Hearts in 2018. With Great Hearts he has taught 5th Grade, 8th Grade Literature & Composition, 10th Grade Humane Letters, and 12th Grade Logic. He was assistant headmaster at Glendale Prep for the 2025-26 school year. From 2023-25, Conal, his wife Pilar, and their three children moved to Edmonton, Alberta where Conal founded Edmonton Classical Academy. The whole Tanner family is happy to be with Great Hearts again, and Conal is honored to be the founding headmaster of Great Hearts Blossom Rock.

Erik is President of Arcadia Education, a professional services firm serving classical schools nationally.

Junius Johnson is a writer, teacher, speaker, independent scholar, and musician. His work focuses on beauty, imagination, and wonder in the Christian and Classical intellectual traditions. He is the executive director of Junius Johnson Academics and holds a BA from Oral Roberts University (English Lit), an MAR from Yale Divinity School (Historical Theology), and an MA, two MPhils, and a PhD (Philosophical Theology) from Yale University. He is the author of 5 books and is a contributing writer for the Humanitas textbooks with Classical Academic Press. He is co-host of The Classical Mind, a podcast discussing the great books of the Western tradition.

Sofia Laguna Rigolon is the Curriculum and Special Education Director at Elizabeth Academy in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she leads curriculum development, special education, educator development, and schoolwide systems supporting student success. Since beginning her career in 2013, Sofia has taught and led in schools across Colorado, California, Illinois, and Utah. Her work focuses on inclusive school administration and curriculum design, with an emphasis on creating educational programs where students with disabilities can access rigorous curriculum, participate meaningfully alongside their peers, and develop greater independence. She is particularly interested in how thoughtful curriculum design, strong instruction, and coordinated supports can expand access while maintaining high academic expectations. Sofia holds a B.A. in English from the University of Colorado Boulder, an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Denver, and an M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership from Utah State University.

Jessica Kaminski, M.Ed. is a mathematics educator, author, and founder of Math with Purpose, where she helps educators strengthen math instruction through practical, research-informed teaching practices based on her expertise with Singapore’s approach to math. With a focus on conceptual understanding, problem solving, and purposeful use of mathematical models, Jessica works with schools and teachers to move beyond simply teaching students how to get an answer and toward helping them understand the mathematics behind it. Through professional development, coaching, curriculum support, and online learning, Jessica equips educators with the knowledge and tools to make rigorous mathematics accessible to a wide range of learners. Her work emphasizes thoughtful instruction, strong mathematical foundations, and classrooms where students learn to reason, communicate, and approach challenging problems with confidence. Jessica is passionate about helping educators develop the depth of mathematical understanding needed to teach with clarity and purpose.

Jacob Howland is a Distinguished Visiting Professor in the School of Civic Leadership at the University of Texas at Austin. He served as Provost at the University of Austin from 2022 to 2025. Before that, he was McFarlin Professor of Philosophy at the University of Tulsa, where he taught for 32 years. Howland is the author of Glaucon’s Fate: History, Myth, and Character in Plato’s Republic (2018); Plato and the Talmud (2011); Kierkegaard and Socrates: A Study in Philosophy and Faith (2006); The Paradox of Political Philosophy: Socrates’ Philosophic Trial (1998); and The Republic: The Odyssey of Philosophy (1993). His articles on literature, politics, and the academy have appeared in the Atlantic, The Free Press, The New Criterion, Commentary, Newsweek, the Claremont Review of Books, the Jewish Review of Books, City Journal, Mosaic, Tablet, the New York Post, UnHerd, Quillette, Forbes, Civitas Outlook, and The Nation, among other venues.

Shaka is a Senior Fellow at the American Federation for Children. Prior to joining AFC Shaka was the Tennessee Regional Director for Rocketship Public Schools. Shaka is a member of the Civil Society Fellowship (a project of the Aspen Institute) and American Mensa. He is the creator and host of the Come Together Music Project and podcast which uses the medium of music to find common ground between people from divergent political, ideological, and socio-economic backgrounds. He also serves as a co-host of the Quality Matters podcast. He is an alumnus of Belmont University where he teaches American Government and Constitutional Law as an adjunct faculty member. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the Wake Forest University School of Law where he sits on the Board of Advisors for the Journal of Law and Policy. Shaka’s most important role is parenting three school-aged daughters with his wife Stephanie.

Patrick Shambayati is a double bassist based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is principal bassist of the Scottsdale Philharmonic and founder of The Unfinished Trio, a chamber ensemble that performs string-trio repertoire by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and others, with cello parts transposed for double bass. He also performs and records jazz with various groups, most notably saxophonist Nazim Rashid. Patrick studies classical performance at Arizona State University under Catalin Rotaru and teaches privately.

Susan Wise Bauer is a historian, writer, and educator. She is the co-author of the perennial best-seller The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home (now in its fifth edition) and the author of numerous other books, including The Great Shadow, Rethinking School, The Well-Educated Mind, The Story of Western Science, the History of the World series from W. W. Norton, the Story of the World series from Well-Trained Mind Press, and the Writing With Ease and Writing With Skill series, also from Well-Trained Mind Press. Susan was home educated and went on to complete a B.A. in English, an M.Div. in Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Literature, an M.A. in English literature, and a Ph.D. in the history of American religion. She taught writing and literature at the College of William & Mary in Virginia for eighteen years.

Taylor has worked at Great Hearts for 11 years, teaching both 2nd and 3rd grade. She currently serves as the Dean of Curriculum and Instruction at Maryvale Prep (Archway) and loves her school and community!

Until his retirement in 2015, Vigen Guroian was Professor of Religious Studies in Orthodox Christianity at the University of Virginia. He has written twelve books on a variety of subjects, including theology, Christian ethics, children’s literature, and religious reflections on gardening. His popular book on children’s stories is titled Tending the Heart of Virtue: How Classic Stories Awaken a Child’s Moral Imagination (Oxford University Press). Guroian has contributed hundreds of articles to books, journals, encyclopedias, magazines, and newspapers. And his writings have been translated into Greek, Russian, Armenian, Portuguese, Korean, and Romanian.

Andrew J. Zwerneman is co-founder and president of Cana Academy. He blogs regularly at www.canaacademy.org and is the author of History Forgotten and Remembered (2020), The Life We Have Together: A Case for Humane Studies, A Vision for Renewal (2022), and Return to Hallowed Ground (2026). Andrew writes and narrates the film series, HISTORY250®.

Mary Pim earned her degree in Education from the University of Dallas; a liberal arts university rooted in the classical tradition. She began her career teaching in public schools in Texas and Arizona before joining Great Hearts, where she taught for three years and is now in her sixth year of academic leadership. She previously served as Dean of Students and currently serves as Dean of Academics. In her current role, Mary focuses on strengthening Tier 1 instruction, serves as an MTSS coordinator, and supports teachers through instructional coaching. She is passionate about classical education, strong instruction, and the formation of students.

Great Hearts’ mission of cultivating scholars’ hearts and minds through the pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty resonated with Brenna when she was searching for a school for her children. She applied and was hired to teach in 2019. Since then, she has served as a Teaching Assistant, Lead Teacher, Art and PE Specials Teacher, and now Dean of Academics. Each role has deepened her appreciation for the work of forming both the hearts and minds of young people. Now that her own children are in college, Brenna reflects on the profound impact Great Hearts has had on their family. What began as a search for the right school became a meaningful part of their family’s story and a mission she continues to embrace as she invests in the next generation.

Emily Austin is an Associate Professor of Classics at the University of Chicago. She received a B.A. in Classics from the University of Dallas and a Ph.D. in Classical Studies from Boston University. Her teaching and research focus on Homer, especially emotions, as well as Greek poetry more generally. Her first book, Grief and the Hero: the Futility of Longing in the Iliad, explores the nexus of grief, longing, and anger in the Iliad. She is working on a second book, Solitude and its Powers in Ancient Greece, which identifies surprising moments when ancient Greek poetry conceives of solitude as a good thing. Emily is the happy daughter of two graduates from St. John’s College, Santa Fe, who taught her to love good books and great conversation.

Christine Perrin is the author of Bright Mirror, Dark Gospel: Figure of Descent, and The Art of Poetry. She teaches literature at Messiah University and Gordon College in Orvieto, and she is host of the podcast Composed.

Trevor Shelley is Assistant Professor and Associate Director of Graduate Studies in the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University. He is author of Globalization and Liberalism: Montesquieu, Tocqueville, and Manent (University of Notre Dame, 2020), and co-editor (with Carol McNamara) of Citizenship and Civic Leadership in America (Lexington, 2022) and Renewing America's Civic Compact (Lexington, 2023). He has also authored several book chapters and journal articles on various topics in political theory.

Jeannette DeCelles-Zwerneman serves as Director of Instruction and a Master Teacher at Cana Academy. Her thirty published works include Teaching Fiction From the Inside Out, A Lively Kind of Learning: Mastering the Seminar Method, and other resources on teaching imaginative and expository literature and writing.

Brian Giglio is the Executive Director and Head of School at Vertex Partnership Academies, a public charter high school in Soundview, Bronx. A career educator with nearly two decades of experience, Brian has spent more than ten years in school leadership, focused on building strong academic programs, developing effective teams, and creating schools where students are challenged to think deeply and take ownership of their futures. 

At Vertex, he leads the school’s academic, operational, financial, and organizational strategy, with a particular focus on rigorous instruction, character formation, and pathways to upward mobility. His work is grounded in the belief that schools should equip young people not only with the knowledge and skills to succeed, but also with the judgment, agency, and character necessary to lead meaningful lives and contribute to a democratic society.

Albert Cheng is an associate professor and Assistant Director for Classical Education at the Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society. His scholarship focuses on school choice, classical education, faith-based schooling, and homeschooling. He is also a research affiliate of the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard University, a Senior Fellow at Cardus, and a regular co-host of The Learning Curve, an education podcast produced by the Pioneer Institute. Before joining the Chase Center, Dr. Cheng was an associate professor of education policy at the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas where he taught courses in education policy and philosophy.

Alison Chaney has served Great Hearts for 18 years in a variety of leadership and instructional roles. She began as a founding teacher at Scottsdale Prep, later served as a network instructional coach and Master Teacher, and went on to lead Scottsdale Prep as Headmaster for eight years. She now serves as Senior Director of Talent, where she supports key talent acquisition functions for the network, including leadership recruiting, recruiting support for new region launches and Great Hearts Services, recruitment marketing, and Workday Recruiting. Alison holds degrees from The Ohio State University and Baylor University. A classically trained singer, she performed for 15 seasons with the Grammy Award–winning Phoenix Chorale, was a founding member of the early music vocal ensemble Helios, and she now sings with the Phoenix Symphony Chorus.

Kiann Robinson Mapes is the Senior VP of Talent for Great Hearts Academies. She oversees a national team relentlessly focused on the recruitment and hiring of teachers, leaders, and business professionals for Great Hearts schools in AZ, TX, and LA. Prior to this, Kiann taught extensively in music and sciences at the high school and university levels. In her “other life,” Kiann is an early music specialist, performing with various Texas ensembles in TX. Kiann earned her master’s degree at ASU, where she also taught Baroque flute. She completed her undergraduate degree from Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University; both degrees included coursework in music performance and biological sciences. She lives in Grapevine, TX with her husband Steve (longtime Great Hearts mathematics teacher), and daughters Gressa (Great Hearts graduate, finishing an Art and Classics degree at KU) and Dalea (Great Hearts Irving 9th grader).

Michael Austin came to Great Hearts in 2010 as a geometry teacher at Veritas Prep. He has served many roles at Great Hearts, both as a teacher and administrator, and currently serves as National Director of Curriculum for the Upper Schools. He has a passion for all elements of the curriculum and is happy to engage in all conversations on the same. He is the father of nine children, and he looks forward to the day that he hosts seminars at the Thanksgiving dinner table with his adult children and grandchildren.

Zack Withers has completed fifteen years of service in the Great Hearts network. During this time, he has taught history, economics, poetry, rhetoric, and humane letters. Additionally, he has served as an Academic Dean and Assistant Headmaster, prior to serving as Anthem Prep's fourth headmaster. He is passionate about reviving Classical Education in the 21st century and has attended every Symposium since its inception. He lives on a two-acre homestead in the West Valley with his wife, four children, and an assortment of farm animals, including goats, pigs, chickens, dogs, and cats.

Patrick is founder and CEO of Iliad Athletics, a physical culture company built on fitness, nature, and character. He was founding headmaster of St. Martin’s Academy, a farm-based boarding school in Kansas, and served for over a decade in the United States Marine Corps where he deployed multiple times and served in a variety of leadership roles. Patrick has a B.A. from the University of Michigan, and a M.A. from Washington University in St. Louis. His essays and poetry have appeared in a variety of journals including The New Criterion, Touchstone, The Marine Corps Gazette, The Michigan Quarterly Review, and Arion: A Journal of Humanities and the Classics.

Corinne Jacobson serves as the VP of Professional Development at Great Hearts America. She brings experience across teaching and leadership roles and is passionate about helping teachers and leaders grow, develop, and thrive in their work. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening and exploring the outdoors.

Dr. Toyin Atolagbe is the Director of Parent and Educator Partnerships at the Humanitas Institute. Before that, she served as Executive Director of Great Hearts Christos in Arizona. With over two decades of experience in education as a teacher, administrator, and founder, she has shaped learning communities across continents. Previously, she led Archway Lincoln Classical Academy as Headmaster and served as a founding faculty member at Archway Arete Classical Academy and Archway Trivium Classical Academy. She is also the co-founder of Agape International School in Ilorin, Nigeria, which offers free classical education to underserved communities. She founded Lighthouse Parenting Hub, a partnership that equips parents and educators through public speaking, training, coaching, and curated resources to help families flourish. Dr. Atolagbe earned her Doctor of Education from Grand Canyon University, a Master of Education from the University of Lethbridge, Canada, and her bachelor's degree from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria.

Trent Kramer serves as the Director of Charter School Partnerships at The Classic Learning Test, where he works with schools and networks across the country to advance classical and liberal arts education. Prior to joining CLT, Trent was the founding Headmaster of Ascent Classical Academy of Northern Colorado, leading the school from its founding to a thriving K–12 institution serving more than 700 students and families. He later served as Senior Headmaster for the Ascent Classical Academy network, supporting school leaders and collaboration across the network. With more than a decade in classical education, Trent has experience in school leadership, curriculum development, teacher coaching, and classroom instruction. He has taught History, Philosophy, and Mathematics and trained teachers in classical pedagogy and Socratic instruction. Trent holds an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Grand Canyon University and a B.A. in History from Hillsdale College.

Christen Arbogast is the Assistant Headmaster at Archway Trivium as well as the Network ELA coach for K-5. Ms. Arbogast has served at Great Hearts since 2013 in a variety of roles, including team lead, Dean of Curriculum, Dean of Faculty and, most importantly, a teacher. She holds a bachelor's degree in the Humanities and a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction.

Jason Bedrick is a Senior Research Fellow for the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation. He is the co-editor of three books, including The Phoenix Principles: Toward a Rebirth of American Education. Bedrick previously served as a legislator in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, as well as in roles at EdChoice. the Cato Institute, and the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy. He received his master’s degree in public policy, with a focus on education policy, from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he was a fellow at the Taubman Center for State and Local Government. He resides in Phoenix with his wife and six children.

Mr. Smith has worked for Great Hearts for nearly 15 years. Throughout his career with Great Hearts, he has served as a curriculum author for the Studio Art curriculum on the TRP and taught every grade of Studio Art. Mr. Smith has served as a Master Fine Arts Teacher and is currently teaching 12th grade Humane Letters at Cicero Prep.

Tom Doebler has worked with and for students with diverse learning needs for over two decades, driven by a conviction that public education can be transformed to recognize the humanity of every child. 19 of those years has been with Great Hearts Academies, where he has shared in the work of building a large and robust approach to welcome and accessibility for any family that aligns with the heart of classical education and our mission to provide access to this ennobling experience to all children. A native of Oregon, Tom lives in Phoenix with his wife Angelika and his two children.

Neil Gillingham is a classical educational leader with more than two decades of service in K-12 education. Currently serving as Interim Vice President of Academics for Great Hearts, he provides academic leadership and strategic direction for nearly 50 schools across Arizona, Texas, and Louisiana. Throughout his career, Neil has held a variety of leadership roles, including Senior Director of Academics, Senior Director of Online and Special Projects, founding Headmaster of Archway Classical Academy | Arete, and Head of Middle School at Mesa Preparatory Academy. Known for his commitment to instructional excellence, leadership development, and school improvement, he has mentored school leaders, facilitated leadership training programs, and advised local educational initiatives through Gilbert's AdEd Council. Neil began his career as a teacher of history, visual arts, and elementary education.

Cammie Passey has been in public education for more than 20 years, beginning her career with the Sunnyside School District in Tucson, Arizona and continuing the adventure with Great Hearts Academies in Phoenix. Throughout her time, she’s served in a variety of roles at the elementary level including (but not limited to) classroom lead in both 4th and 5th grade, campus math instructional coach, assistant headmaster, and currently as the National Director of Lower School Curriculum for Great Hearts. In keeping with her childhood dream of becoming a teacher, Cammie earned a BS in Elementary Education from Utah State University in 2002 and an MA in Educational Psychology from the University of Arizona in 2012. After joining Great Hearts in 2012, her eyes were opened to the wonders of the classical liberal arts, and she strives every day to deepen her experience in and knowledge of the great tradition.

Mary Elizabeth Halper is a Tutor at St. John's College, Annapolis and the Dean of the Humanities at Hertog Program at the Hertog Foundation. Prior to earning her Ph.D. from the School of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America and after earning a B.A. in Classics and in Philosophy from University of Dallas, she taught for two years at two Great Hearts academies. She lives in Annapolis with her husband (also a tutor) and her three children, all of whom more or less bravely endure her obsession with liberal education.

James V. Shuls, Ph.D., is the Undergraduate Director of Civics and Liberty Studies and the Head of Education Liberty at the Institute for Governance and Civics at Florida State University. A nationally recognized expert on education policy and school choice, Dr. Shuls’s research focuses on K-12 finance, teacher policy, and education reform. He is the co-editor of two books, Fighting for the Freedom to Learn: Examining America's Centuries-Old School Choice Movement with Neal McCluskey and The Phoenix Principles: Toward a Rebirth of American Education with Jason Bedrick. Before joining the Institute, Dr. Shuls served as the Department Chair and Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He earned his doctorate in education policy from the University of Arkansas.

Roslyn joined the Great Hearts family in 2010 and served students and families as a college counselor for 13 years before stepping into the regional director of college counseling role in 2023 for Great Hearts Arizona. Roslyn supports 19 college counselors across the 12 prep schools in Arizona. She graduated from the College of Idaho, where she played golf and earned a triple major in business, psychology, and sociology. Roslyn coached golf and basketball during her time at Great Hearts and now is a soccer mom for her two children who attend a Great Hearts Archway Classical Academy.

Robert C. Thornett is an educator and writer who has taught in seven countries. He has taught Humane Letters and Rhetoric at Chandler Prep since 2023. He taught geography for eight years at five colleges and universities, in addition to over fifteen years teaching secondary geography, humanities, and social sciences. 

Mr. Thornett’s articles on classical education have appeared in Education Next, On Classical Education, and Quillette, and he has written on geographic issues in American Affairs, Public Discourse, The American Mind, The Diplomat, Modern Diplomacy, Commentary, Law and Liberty, Front Porch Republic, Earth Island Journal, and others. 

Originally from Northern Virginia, Mr. Thornett attended Georgetown University and earned an MA in Liberal Arts from the Great Books program at St. John’s in 2006 and an MS in Geographic and Cartographic Sciences from George Mason University in 2009.

Mac Esau serves as Executive Director of Upper Schools for Great Hearts Arizona, where he leads and supports twelve middle and high school headmasters and helps shape regional academic, cultural, and operational strategy as a member of the Senior Team. Previously, he was the founding Headmaster of Maryvale Prep, leading the school for ten years and growing enrollment from 137 to more than 1,000 students while guiding its first class to graduation. With 25 years in education, his experience includes teaching middle and high school mathematics in multiple schools. Mac holds a BA in Psychology and Communication Studies from UCLA and an MA in Education from Biola University. Outside of work, he is an avid basketball player and cherishes time with his wife, Pearl, and their children, Kaiya, Zeke, and Niko.

Jennifer (M. Ed., Curriculum and Instruction) has spent the last eight years working for Great Hearts after ten years working in school districts around the US and abroad in Germany. She is the Director of Career Pathways on the Great Hearts America Professional Development Team. Prior to this role, she served as a teacher in various grades K-8, reading specialist, mentor teacher and instructional coach, and headmaster. She is passionate about the impact of instructional coaching on both teacher development and student outcomes, which has led her to this current role.

Jennifer and her husband Rogelio reside in San Antonio, TX and are the proud parents of five kids, three of which are still school-age and attend Great Hearts Forest Heights as rising 10th, 9th, and 6th graders. Outside of education, Jennifer enjoys hitting the trails with her dog and volunteering in various children's ministries.

Jesse Hake has been an upper school humanities educator. Most recently before ClassicalU, he was Principal for seven years at Logos Academy, a classical school in downtown York, PA. Since 2019, Jesse oversees the logistical and operational side of ClassicalU, the interface and collaboration with the Templeton Honors College, and the new course production efforts at ClassicalU (including the recruiting and hosting of presenters onsite at our studios in Camp Hill, PA). Jesse also offers consulting services with Classical Academic Press and leads the TrueNorth.fm podcast network (including hosting the ClassicalU Podcast show).

Jerilyn Olson is the Chief People Officer of Great Hearts, overseeing recruitment, human resources, and professional development across regions. She has worked for Great Hearts since 2005 – first as a teacher and coach and then in various capacities connected to teacher recruitment and professional development. She has a bachelor’s degree in government and literature from Claremont McKenna College and a master’s degree in humanities (with an emphasis on classical education) from the University of Dallas. She and her husband have three children at Great Hearts and reside in the Phoenix area.

Susan D. Collins is Associate Professor of Political Science, concurrent with Classics, at the University of Notre Dame. Her work in ancient political thought focuses on questions of constitutionalism and seeks to bring the insights of the classical tradition to bear on modern debates about political order. She is co-translator with Robert Bartlett of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and author of Aristotle and the Rediscovery of Citizenship. She is completing a manuscript entitled Political Order and the Spartan Ideal: An Ancient Debate for a World in Conflict.

Marisa Cook serves as Dean of Teachers at Great Hearts Forest Heights in San Antonio, Texas, where she leads the development and coaching of K–5 faculty. During her ten years in classical education and with Great Hearts, she has served as an Apprentice Teacher, Lead Teacher, Team Lead, and instructional leader, giving her a unique perspective on teacher growth at every stage of the profession. 

Marisa is passionate about helping teachers grow through practical, purposeful coaching that strengthens both classroom instruction and school culture. She has developed and led programs for new lead teachers, apprentice teachers, and faculty leaders, with a particular focus on classroom culture, instructional practice, and developing teacher ownership. She holds a bachelor’s degree and an MBA and believes that great coaching does more than improve teaching—it develops great teachers.

Dr. Missy Johnson has been an educator for 24 years, beginning as a Latin teacher for 7 years at an all-boys Jesuit high school in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Johnson then moved to Minnesota in 2011 and has worked at Nova Classical Academy ever since. As a classicist, Nova Classical Academy’s model of education was a natural choice, first as a Latin teacher and then moving into the role of Academic Director in 2018. Dr. Johnson holds the teaching of grammar, logic, rhetoric, and virtues in high regard for learners of all ages. She hopes to bring thoughtfulness and openness to the Great Conversation and keep the light of classical education burning bright for years to come. Educational History: Doctor of Education, Bethel University, 2020; Masters in Contemplative Education, Naropa University, 2010; Masters in Classics, University of Colorado, 2004; Bachelors in English Literature, Minnesota State University Moorhead, 2002.