Pilot with a Great Heart

FEATURE Pilot with a Great Heart

School honors Roosevelts’ progeny

BY SOUND OF FREEDOM STAFF

Residents may assume that the new Great Hearts Roosevelt Academy, set to open in Buckeye this fall, is named after the U.S. president.

Stephen Philabaum, one of the academy’s headmasters, says the name commemorates neither of the presidents but one of their heroic progeny.

“There’s a lot of schools and institutions named after someone who has achieved a certain notoriety,” Philabaum says.

“Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt are two of those names. You think of our former presidents because they were everywhere and achieved great things. But we wanted someone who represented a life of humility and sacrifice. That’s where the story of Quentin Roosevelt comes in.”

The youngest son to Theodore and First Lady Edith Roosevelt, Quentin joined the U.S. Army Air Service, the aerial warfare service of the U.S. Army that came before the U.S. Air Force, to become a pursuit pilot during World War I. It was on Bastille Day, July 14, 1918, that Quentin was killed in aerial combat over France. He is the only child of a U.S. president to die in combat.

“As the son of a president, Quentin was someone who grew up in a world of privilege, and he gave all of that up to serve his country,” Philabaum says.

“We want to nurture a generation of children that think of others before themselves, who are passionate and resilient and exhibit so many of the qualities we find in the story of Quentin Roosevelt.”

This is the first Buckeye location for Great Hearts Academies, a nonprofit network of tuition-free charter schools with more than 30 locations between Arizona and Texas.

“Buckeye is so dynamic right now,” Philabaum says.

“It is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and it’s a melting pot of people. You have everyone from generational farmers to those flocking here from out of state, to others who serve at Luke Air Force Base — people of all different stories and backgrounds are moving to this community.

“With all of this diversity, these families are coming through our doors for a shared reason. There is something about our education platform that intrigues and attracts them.”

Great Hearts offers a classical liberal artsbased education. Students from kindergarten to 12th grade focus on literary masterpieces, often discussing and debating the great literary and philosophical works for a deeper understanding. The schools also offer a robust curriculum of mathematics, science, history, humanities and the arts.

According to its website, the core purpose of Great Hearts is “to cultivate the minds and hearts of students through the pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty.” Philabaum attributes the success of Great Hearts — the Buckeye location being its 23rd in metro Phoenix — to its universality and “affirmation of human dignity.”

“This way of teaching has stood the test of time,” Philabaum says. “This is the education that laid the foundation for our country. It is the education everyone from our Founding Fathers to Martin Luther King Jr. received. Over the past century, it’s largely been abandoned, and it has been reserved for those who could afford it. Great Hearts saw the need and the value to make this available to everyone. We are bridging that gap for those who sense there is something missing in education today. It’s why I believe a lot of families seek us out. Sometimes they don’t even realize something is missing until they find out about us.”

Great Hearts veteran Tony Cruz has also been tapped to lead as headmaster of the upper grades for the 25-acre campus — the largest of any of the Great Hearts schools.

Built from the ground up, Roosevelt is the first Great Hearts school with a new architectural design that lends to a more classical look with large roman columns throughout. The prep school’s mascot will be the Aces, another nod to Quentin’s career as a pilot. The school boasts a library, gymnasium, and large playing field for athletics.

“We are equipping students with the tools to serve their communities and bring their talents to society. Whether students go to college, the military or a trade, we are creating the conditions to make them a better person and help them flourish. When you focus on the right things, everything else in their education falls into place,” Philabaum says.

The school will serve approximately 800 kindergarten through eighth grade students when it opens on August 10, and will expand each grade level until it becomes a fully enrolled K-12 campus. At full capacity, Roosevelt will accommodate about 1,100 students.

“What we are excited about is getting into the heart of the community and offering Buckeye an education that is life-giving. We recognize that every family has an educational vision for their child, and if what we offer resonates with you and your values, we will do everything we can to partner with you and serve your children.”

Great Hearts Roosevelt Preparatory Academy will be located at 555 S. Jackrabbit Trail in Buckeye. Spots are available, and parents can visit greatheartsamerica.org for more information. Parents can also attend an info session at the school at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 12. For more information, visit roosevelt. greatheartsamerica.org.

Stephen Philabaum is one of the academy’s headmasters. (Great Hearts/Submitted)