Great Hearts Academies Announces New Leader

ANTHEM, Ariz. – Great Hearts Academies is excited to announce that Zack Withers will take over as the new headmaster of grades 6-12 at Great Hearts Anthem Preparatory Academy heading into the 2021/2022 school year. Withers was formerly the assistant headmaster of Great Hearts Glendale Preparatory Academy.

“In many ways, coming back to Anthem Prep feels like coming home,” said Withers. “Anthem Prep is where I learned what it means to be a classical, liberal arts teacher for modern students. I am very excited to be back in this new role. There are great things ahead at Anthem Prep.”

An Arizona native, Withers began his Great Hearts career as a middle school history teacher in 2011 at Anthem Prep. He made the move to Glendale Prep in 2014 where he served as the assistant headmaster for three years. Withers received his Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and Applied Ethics from Arizona State University and a Graduate Certificate in Classical Christian Studies from New Saint Andrew’s College.

“It is a joy to know Zack Withers will be returning to Anthem at this time, leading Anthem Prep,” said Erik Twist, Great Hearts Arizona President. “He is a true professional and a great fit for the Anthem community where virtuous endeavor is so visible, and the pursuit of the good, the true, and the beautiful can be seen in matters great and small.”

While Withers will oversee grades 6 through 12 as the Prep headmaster of Anthem Preparatory Academy, Teresa Clark will continue to run grades K-5 as Anthem Prep’s Archway headmaster.

“There are some incredible changes planned for Great Hearts Anthem and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome Mr. Withers,” said Clark.

Earlier this year, Great Hearts announced a new site for an upsized and newly built permanent home for Anthem Preparatory Academy. The new two-story design will include a large gym, football/soccer field, lab rooms, special education rooms, library, and more to serve students in grades K-12. The ground-up build will be bigger at approximately 82,000-square-feet. Upon completion, Great Hearts will move the students from the current Anthem Prep Academy to its new location on 10-acres of land on the northeast corner of Gavilan Peak Parkway and Arroyo Norte Drive. The new Anthem site is approximately two miles from the school’s current location. The campus will be open in time for the 2022-23 school year.

Great Hearts Archway Classical Academy Anthem has 344 students in K-5 and Great Hearts Anthem Preparatory Academy has nearly 450 students in grades 6-12 and is part of the prestigious Great Hearts Academies network of tuition-free nonprofit public charter schools in metro Phoenix. The school is currently located at 39808 North Gavilan Peak Pkwy. Anthem, AZ 85086. More information can be found at greatheartsamerica.org.

About Great Hearts

Great Hearts is a nonprofit network of tuition-free public charter schools dedicated to improving education nationwide through classical preparatory K-12 academies. As the largest provider of liberal arts classical education campuses in the country, Great Hearts Academies serve more than 22,000 students at 33 tuition-free public charter schools in greater Phoenix, Ariz. and Texas, with waitlists that typically exceed enrollment. Great Hearts provides a robust liberal arts curriculum incorporating advanced math and science, a focus on the arts and foreign language, and a range of extra-curricular activities and athletics. Learn more at www.greatheartsamerica.org.