Principal

1999, a small private school took a flyer on a 19-year-old know-it-all to teach (ironically, for a born out of season Luddite) computers to grammar students. Twenty-three some odd years later Josh Spears is still teaching, having taught, in that span, all manner of subjects to all manner of students from kindergarten to upper division college students. During his roughly 179 months at the Academy, he’s served as athletic director, janitor, Lyceum director, chair of theology and teacher, mostly in the biblical, theological and philosophical world. He spent the usual amount of months earning a bachelor of arts in Theology from Randall University and a master of arts in philosophy from the University of Oklahoma. In his free time, he likes to write new principal bios, take naps, yell at/because of OU athletic events, spend time with one wife/four children, read, watch Netflix, think about climbing fourteeners and steadfastly avoid Oxford commas.

‘The move to principal surprises even me. I’ve loved, loved the classroom. I’m passionate about students seeing and experiencing the new world Christ is recreating. Doing that day in and day out has been deeply fulfilling. But South campus is in my bones. It’s the place that’s shaped my understanding of classical education. It’s the place I learned how to teach. It’s the place I learned by watching exemplary principals lead and put up with up-start teachers like me. South campus culture, parents, teachers and students make the Academy what it is. I’m a huge fan. I’m humbled, honored, terrified and overjoyed to return to serve as the principal.’