SAA Head of School Search


From the Board of Trustees

Dear San Antonio Academy Community:

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, it is my great pleasure to announce that Paul M. Quick has been appointed as Permanent Head of School of San Antonio Academy, effective July 1, 2022.

The Board has strongly concurred with the enthusiastic recommendation of the Search Committee to appoint Paul to the permanent position, which will follow his current service as Interim Head of School.

Since joining our school over the summer, Paul has shown himself to be an able administrator, a visionary leader, and a true believer in The Academy’s mission to instill in our boys “the love of God and country, integrity, and respect for each other.” Paul is a servant leader and an articulate spokesman for the legacy and traditions of The Academy.

Read Paul's Full Biography

In accepting the appointment, Paul stated the following,

I was initially drawn to this opportunity because of the mission and reputation of San Antonio Academy. We are a community that is devoted to the noble and sacred business of helping young boys begin to live lives of meaning and significance. I look forward to learning more about the legacy of The Academy, building relationships throughout the community, and leading our school in the years ahead.”

The Search Committee was privileged to interview an outstanding pool of semi-finalists and to welcome three remarkably talented finalists to campus for in-person interviews and meetings. The committee was impressed with Paul’s leadership style, and knowledge of the wide range of issues that a head of school must manage. The committee also felt that Paul possesses the necessary “people skills” in leading faculty, staff, and the community to achieve our common goals.

We are also pleased to reiterate our welcome to Paul’s wife, Dawn, and to thank her for already becoming an honored member of our school community.

Paul was selected from a diverse pool of candidates following a comprehensive national search led by the highly regarded independent school consultants, The Education Group. The nine-member Search Committee was comprised of past and present trustees, past and current parents, as well as alumni. They all deserve our deepest thanks for working so diligently to help us successfully complete the selection of the next head of school. We are grateful for their tireless efforts, as well as for the support of the entire faculty and staff throughout this process.

Please join me in celebrating and further welcoming Paul and Dawn to The Academy and to San Antonio. We are delighted that they will continue to be a valued part of the San Antonio Academy family.

Sincerely,

Roger C. Hill III
Chair, Board of Trustees


 

Message to the SAA Community from Paul Quick

Dear San Antonio Academy,

Being appointed the Head of School of San Antonio Academy and having the opportunity to lead and steward this community is an honor, a privilege, and a blessing indeed. Knowing all that has been accomplished before, and appreciating all those that toil here now to make The Academy the very best it can be, the responsibility to continue and extend its legacy is, has been, and continues to be our commitment.

What is required of us is a devotion to the boys, a devotion to each other, and a devotion to our mission, vision, and motto.

From this point forward, we rededicate ourselves to offering an exceptional education intentionally crafted for boys; inspiring scholarship, leadership, and integrity; fostering curiosity, inquiry, and experimentation; creating connections between older and younger boys, building our Bond of Brothers; fashioning an environment in which every boy is known, valued, and understood; and finally, equipping, engaging, and guiding every boy to live out and live up to our creed: Be honest. Be kind. Be the best you can be.

One can find “ordinary boys” at any school, but what is most inspiring about San Antonio Academy is that here, our Bond of Brothers builds “extra-ordinary boys” and turns them into fine young men. These fine young men are identified in our greater San Antonio community by their bearing, their civility, their confidence, and their humility and are simply described as an “Academy boy.” By knowing, understanding, and valuing, each boy’s unique gifts, The Academy shapes those once “ordinary boys” and transforms them into “Academy boys” who are honest, kind, and always striving to be the best they can be. Toward that goal, we aspire to be an institution that educates boys for life; preparing each young man for his noble purpose.

With the warnings now in our greater culture regarding “toxic masculinity,” it has never been more important to raise young men “that shall be known by their scholarship, leadership, and integrity” (Dr. Sealy, Founder of San Antonio Academy). For parents of boys, ages 4 to 14, sending their boy to The Academy will inoculate him from “toxic masculinity;” cultivating the “Academy boy” is the remedy for that noxious cultural malady.

The responsibility to equip and guide the next generation of young men is best done in partnership between parents, grandparents, and the school. While each of us has a role to play, partnering together and ensuring that we teach and reinforce our creed is the obligation of all within our community.

It is an honor and blessing to be part of a community that is dedicated to “offering an exceptional education intentionally crafted for boys.” How could one not want to participate in such a divine calling? It is a glorious gift to have an opportunity to lead that endeavor. Dawn and I are so grateful that we have the opportunity to play a small part in the ongoing legacy of San Antonio Academy.

Blessings,

Paul M. Quick
Head of School
San Antonio Academy