Meet the New Headmaster at Arete Prep
Arete Prep June 23, 2026 -
The families and faculty at Arete Prep will welcome Mark McAfee as the new headmaster when the new school year begins. “As we deeply considered what Arete Prep needs in its next headmaster, we felt it was critical to bring in a seasoned school leader with a proven track record,” said Mac Esau, Great Hearts Arizona Executive Director of Upper Schools. And McAfee, who has served as headmaster at Scottsdale Prep over the last four years, is ready to take the helm at the Great Hearts academy in Gilbert, Ariz.
“Over the last four years, Headmaster McAfee has helped Scottsdale Prep significantly improve its alignment and quality of instruction across the campus while raising parent satisfaction and awareness about the great benefits and importance of a classical education,” shared Esau. “Prior to joining Great Hearts, Mr. McAfee served as a school leader for 13 years in Arizona and Colorado, including founding Benjamin Franklin High School, writing its curriculum, and growing its 7th – 12th grade enrollment to over 1,200 students.”
McAfee says he is approaching the new school year at Arete Prep with great anticipation and a full heart. “Classical education has been the great professional joy of my life, shaping my thoughts and directing my work more than anything outside of my faith and my family,” he said. “The opportunity to serve within Great Hearts, alongside like-minded educators and families committed to the formation of hearts and minds, is a rare blessing.”
McAfee believes that his experience in developing and leading several classical schools will serve the students, faculty, parents, and supporters of Arete Prep well.
While he is coming from a Great Hearts campus located in Scottsdale, he and his family are no strangers to the community surrounding Arete Prep. “My wife, Sheila, and I have lived in the far East Valley for the past twenty-one years, where we raised our three children.”
McAfee understands the beauty and demands of a classical education not only as an advocate, but as a parent. All three of his children are products of a classical education, giving him firsthand insight into the experiences of the families he serves. “Our oldest daughter, Madison, graduated from Hillsdale College in 2019 and now teaches literature. Our middle daughter, Emerson, is a graduate of Arizona State University and worked as an accountant before recently welcoming her first child — our first grandchild. Our son, Kincade, earned degrees in business administration and classics, as well as a master’s degree in business analytics from Wake Forest University, and currently works as a financial consultant in Washington, D.C.,” he shared. “They are better thinkers and better people because of the time they spent wrestling with the Great Books under the care of devoted teachers who served as faithful guides along the way.”
McAfee understands that a proper education is among the greatest gifts we can bestow upon our children. “The honor of leading a school charged with this weighty responsibility is not lost on me,” he said. “I am committed to working diligently to earn the trust of this remarkable community, and I look forward to the challenge and the joy of the work ahead.”
Join Great Hearts and the Arete Prep community in welcoming Mr. McAfee to this new and exciting appointment.
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Submit a student application to a Great Hearts Academy by visiting: https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/enroll/.
