Despite his childhood dreams of being a biomedical engineer and investigating disease outbreaks in Hazmat suits, Head of School Quinton P. Walker says he was always destined to stay in a school. “I think I’ve known I’d be a teacher [for] forever,” Walker said. “I love learning, I love reading, I love community, I love school.”

As head of school, Walker oversees the school’s management. “The head of school is a really unique position in a school’s ecosystem. [He’s] kind of the only person with a 360 view on everything and everyone who relates to the school,” said Charisse Wu, 2026 grade dean and history teacher. “[He] need[s] to face outward and inward. … It’s a very big job!” 

Walker joined Urban this year after working as an assistant head of school and head of high school at the University School of Nashville — a K-12 school in Tennessee — for nine years. 

When he came to Urban, Walker left his life in Tennessee for a new one in the Golden State. “I did so in a full-throated, no looking back [way],” he said. “[I] committed myself in the process of, ‘I’m gonna go out there and do my very best to be my authentic self [and] to bring all of me to this place.’”

Student body Co-President Paul Tawadrous ’26 reflected on how Walker’s cross-country move has impacted the way he shows up at Urban. “I feel like [Quinton matches] the spirit of diversity and welcoming people from different places [because of] the fact that he moved far to come here,” he said.

In order to find the new head of school, the Board of Trustees formed a search committee, led by Board of Trustees members Elena Yang and Ruth Chang Hess. The committee was made up of additional Board members as well as three faculty members chosen by the Board — Wu, science teacher Mary Murphy, and Dean of Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Jason Ernest Feldman.

The search committee focused on finding a head of school who would strengthen Urban’s community. “Quinton and what he brings from his experience solidifies how we as a school want to be defined internally, which complements how impressive we look externally after years of steady expansion in our enrollment and facilities,” Wu said.

After reviewing applications and conducting an initial round of interviews, the committee decided on three finalists who were interviewed at Urban by faculty and staff, administrators and other Urban community members. 

“Quinton in his interview is the same as Quinton in the school,” said Kari Kiernan, assistant to the head of school. “He famously sat in with the jazz band during his interview. … He was literally playing the saxophone.”

At the start of his teaching career, a mentor told Walker to make a list of schools that aligned with his values and aspirations; since then, Urban has been at the top of that list. 

Walker spoke about what initially drew him to Urban. “[Urban students] are committed to really grappling with getting messy with learning,” Walker said. “I hope we don’t feel like we need to run … through everything but [can] actually enjoy the privilege of going deep on topics and subjects and skills.”

Walker is taking over the role after recent past Heads of School Mark Salkind and Dan Miller. “Mark and Dan did such nice jobs [of] getting Urban to this point in 2025,” Walker said. “For me, being a head of school [is] very much a borrowed title. It’s a role I get to take care of and shepherd.”

As a school, Urban values learning, growth and mutual respect between students and teachers. “Here at Urban, it remains necessary and important for our head of school to be someone who believes deeply in the transformative power of working with young people in education,” Wu said. “We prize leaders who demonstrate a capacity to listen, pay attention, remain curious and pull from the strengths of others.” 

Riley Maddox, math teacher and class of 2027 grade dean, reflected on how Quinton fits in with Urban’s philosophy. “[Quinton] seems like a connector and that really works here at the Urban School,” he said. “If you can connect people around a goal, amazing things happen, and I believe Quinton can do that.”

Walker believes adolescence is an impactful stage of people’s lives. “There’s so much that [teenagers] are capable of at this age — you’re growing, you’re curious, you’re earnest, you care about things as high school students,” he said. “It’s a time … where you all are developing your own sets of values and your own ethical sense of self.”

Walker is approaching the head of school role through engaging with the Urban community. “Leadership is about learning, … connecting with people and taking your time to really know a place before you jump in [and] have your big ideas,” he said. “I don’t really subscribe to [the] leadership mantra of making your mark, putting a stamp on it [and] being a hero. I’m much more about collective leadership.”

Walker’s introduction into the Urban community has already begun — and many believe he will continue to connect and get involved with all parts of the Urban community. “I expect that he’ll be at Urban athletics, [and] … we’ve already seen the man play the saxophone, so I know that he’s going to be excited about our arts program,” Kiernan said. “He’s all in in terms of the community, and I know that’s something that we invite all of our students to be as well. I think he’s already a Blue.”

For Walker, working in a high school is especially meaningful. “There’s a saying in teaching that you gravitate toward the age you feel yourself,” Walker said. “A lot of days I feel like [I am] a high school junior or senior. Being in high school keeps me young.”