Erin Lentz is Cooking Up Success as the New Headmaster at North Phoenix Prep
North Phoenix Prep September 6, 2024 -
Erin Lentz has worn many hats in her life, most recently as the new Headmaster at North Phoenix Prep. But a career in education was not always in her purview. Lentz grew up in Central Phoenix through high school, and upon graduation, moved to New Orleans to study political science. Her plan was to move on to law school but after graduating with a Bachelor’s degree at Tulane University, she committed to teach in New Orleans public schools for three years through a teacher training program at The University of New Orleans.
“I thought teaching would be a respectable detour on the way to law school, but Hurricane Katrina altered those plans. With the public schools closed indefinitely, I was determined to continue teaching students wherever I was needed.” She accepted a teaching position at a private school outside of New Orleans, and once there, she knew that teaching, rather than law, was her true vocation. “My years in New Orleans were formative both personally and professionally, and that experience galvanized my love of teaching and my commitment to excellent public education for all students.”
It was during her time in New Orleans that she met her husband. She said she enjoyed her time in the Crescent City, a place full of rich French culture and delicious food. She said, “That’s where he really developed his love for food and wine.”
When they moved back to Phoenix in 2012, the two came with the intention to open a restaurant in her old neighborhood of Central Phoenix called “The French Grocery,” inspired by the cuisine they came to love back in Louisiana. This meant Lentz needed to step away from teaching to help run the restaurant and to raise their young children. They did so for the next several years, and Lentz said the experience was incredible. Hospitality has become a key part of their family to this day, where hosting people in their home has become a favorite pastime. “Part of our family culture is that we love to gather people, we love to feed people, and so, the community around the table is really important to us,” she said
When their oldest daughter was ready for kindergarten, Lentz did her homework and a lot of searching before enrolling her at Archway North Phoenix. “I toured a lot of schools. I mean, I went to the public school that I went to as a child, I went to the public school near my home, I toured other charters,” she explained. “But when I came to Great Hearts, specifically to Archway North Phoenix, they were so confident in not just my child, but in the curriculum, and in our ability as her first teachers, as parents, to prepare her well. I just felt like this is really going to be a great place for her to start school. We enrolled her and then the following year her sister followed in kindergarten.”
Lentz has four children. Her oldest daughter, who started her journey at Great Hearts, is now in eighth grade. She also has a seventh grader and twins in the fourth grade, all students at the North Phoenix campus.
When she was ready to return to teaching, Lentz already knew she loved the community at Great Hearts. “I learned that there was an opening for a middle school math teacher here at North Phoenix Prep and I had taught middle school math for a long time before I had kids,” she said. “It was just the right position at the right time and joining the faculty was wonderful. I mean, from the very beginning it was clear that they treated their teachers as professionals, but there was also just such a welcome and an extension of trust. Coming to that as a parent first and then as a teacher, I felt like I got just a really beautiful picture of what it means to be a Great Hearts community member.”
Since then, Lentz said she has benefited from many programs and professional development opportunities through Great Hearts as she has pursued her own growth as a leader from the APEX courses offered through Great Hearts, to the leadership studies she has completed in her graduate course work.
Lentz said she is really enjoying her new role at the school. “I enjoy still getting to be able to be with students… I love being in the classroom and getting to step in for teachers as often as I can and being outside with the kids as well. It’s really fun.” Lentz said there is always something new to learn and she has embraced the challenge of understanding all of the systems in place and how everyone’s role works within those established systems. “It’s a neat challenge. It’s like it’s a good puzzle for me and I really enjoy that quite a bit.”
“I am continually motivated and excited by the work we do on behalf of our students in pursuit of what is True, Good, and Beautiful, and I am committed to stewarding our school with excellence and integrity. I am grateful to learn from and work alongside an incredible team in whom I have so much trust, and who graciously and humbly offer their best to our students and families every day,” added Lentz.
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