Great Hearts Classical - Florida

Active preparations are underway for the launch of the first Great Hearts academy in the great state of Florida in the Fall of 2025! Founding Director Jason Doughty is seeking a team of veteran Great Hearts teachers and leaders to join him on the Core team for Great Hearts Classical!

An active search is underway for two Founding Heads of School for the new region. Apply today:

Founding Head of School (Fall 2024 Start)

And, if you are interested in being a member of this core team as a teacher or staff member for the launch in 2025, please join Mr. Doughty for any one of a series of info sessions in the month of March (see below), and look for additional opportunities to meet with him in all existing regions later in April.

Info Sessions in March:

March 21: Symposium In-Person Sessions

• 12:30 pm
• 2:45 pm

March 26: Virtual Session

• 4:00 pm MST

March 28: Virtual Session

• 6:00 pm MST

Please complete this survey below today to be included on the info session invites, or to learn more about these new opportunities.

Great Hearts Harveston

In its inaugural year, Great Hearts Harveston has opened the doors of classical education to a new and exciting region in Louisiana. Under the leadership of veteran Samuel Heisman, the faculty and staff have tackled the many hurdles of opening a new campus, and with growing interest from the community, this beautiful campus will expand next year to add new sections and grade levels!

With the opening of each new campus at Great Hearts, a fundamental core group of veteran Great Hearts faculty is vital in setting the culture and conditions for a great-hearted school. Mr. Heisman is opening up a wide invitation to anyone who would like to explore new adventures in Louisiana!

Click below to indicate your interest in joining Mr. Heisman at a sponsored Happy Hour on Thursday March 21st in Phoenix at the Symposium, or if you can't make it, set up a virtual call with him this week. Use the survey link below to share your interest!

Neil Gillingham

Sr. Director of Online and Special Projects,

Great Hearts Arizona

Neil Gillingham was a veteran educator prior to Great Hearts, but due to a growing disenchantment with the traditional public education model, he sought out Great Hearts and was fortunate enough to tour Archway Chandler. What he saw that day in his words, “renewed my commitment to teaching. I was truly inspired by the students and teachers who clearly loved learning and were respectful and courteous.” Initially hired to teach middle school Studio Art and Medieval History, Mr. Gillingham taught a variety of subjects for several years, then serving as Dean of Students and Head of Middle School before becoming Founding Headmaster at Archway Arete.

While Headmaster, Mr. Gillingham was fortunate to be a part of a NAATE fellowship for two years, and he cites the valuable training he received in the Harvard case study method, different leadership models, and the real-life case studies as particularly formative in his growth as a leader. In moving to his new role, he was open about the challenge, “Moving away from the academy and into a network role means that I do not work directly with teachers and students. I miss seeing all of the wonderful things happening at our school.”  On the other hand, he is enjoying the new learning and discovery of this role, reflecting, “I am increasingly able to see our network as a whole and all the ways in which we support one another. It has been heartening to see so many good people who work behind the scenes for the good of our teachers, students, and families.”  

Manjola Koci

Director of MTSS, Great Hearts Texas

A veteran of Great Hearts, new GH Texas Director of MTSS Manjola Koci reflects on her fortune in joining Great Hearts as a music teacher at Veritas Prep in 2006, sharing, “From the start, I was immersed in a culture that fosters friendship, courage, and kindness, marked by a common love of true, good, and beautiful.” In the year 2020, Ms. Koci relocated to San Antonio where she served as Dean and then Assistant Headmaster at Western Hills Upper School, and most recently she has been designing curriculum for Music Grades 3-5. She cites three mentors who have meaningfully supported her growth as a leader: “Mr. Andrew Ellison's strategic insights and seasoned experience have provided me with a strong foundation in decision-making and problem-solving. Mrs. Cammie Passey's empathy and communication skills have taught me the importance of fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment. Ms. Trinette Keffer's innovative thinking and dedication to continuous improvement have inspired me to constantly seek new ways to lead and inspire my colleagues. Their collective guidance has not only helped me navigate challenges but has also empowered me to become a more effective and compassionate leader.”

In her new role, Ms. Koci acknowledges that implementing a comprehensive MTSS framework does require careful planning, coordination, and resources, and navigating these elements effectively can be challenging, but in her estimation, it’s all the more fulfilling when she has the opportunity to “build strong relationships and foster a sense of teamwork towards a common goal of ensuring student success.” In addition to her professional growth in navigating the intricacies of this new role, Ms. Koci is also investing time in learning Italian this year! 

MacKenzie Mayfield

District Registrar, Great Hearts Texas

In learning about Great Hearts from her sister who is a teacher at Live Oak, MacKenzie Mayfield joined Great Hearts in 2021 as a distance learning Apprentice Teacher during COVID. In the following year, she assisted the Director of Campus Operations and then moved into an Upper School Registrar role. After another promotion to Enrollment Specialist, MacKenzie took on the first-ever GHTX District Registrar role. When asked about the development or mentor that was most integral to her growth, she responded, “This is very easy for me to answer - April Hufty. I love to joke that I want to be April when I grow up! I feel blessed now that I call April a mentor and a friend, and that I even have someone like her in my corner. Someone who truly wants to see me succeed, who gives me the space to grow, to learn, and to feel like I can be myself.”



Though Ms. Mayfield will undoubtedly find challenges in her new role, she shared the fulfillment she feels in her opportunity to “give back to the campus registrars, to find new ways to train, appreciate, and feel like they have everything they need to be successful, for their campuses to be successful.” In reflecting on her journey at Great Hearts thus far, she shared, “Great Hearts is a wonderful place to build a career, find fellowship, and support the mission of giving a high quality of education to any student ready to seek it.”