Jason Patera is the Head of School at the iconic Chicago Academy for the Arts, an independent high school for passionate, elite-level filmmakers, musicians, actors, dancers, writers, animators, and visual artists from throughout Chicagoland and well beyond. Patera has been a part of the Academy community for more than 30 years, serving as an “intern,” faculty member, Chair of the Music Department, Assistant Head of School/Principal, and since June 2016, Head of School.

In 2001, Patera cofounded Caltera School, an award-winning community music school based on the “Caltera Method,” an innovative approach to teaching and learning music.

A fierce advocate for the arts and arts education, Patera has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for excellence in teaching and was named a 2018 Golden Apple Leader of Distinction. His 2018 TED Talk Life at the Intersection of Excellence, Purpose, and Passion has inspired educators and ambitious dreamers around the world.

Patera is a jazz pianist and drummer, and a summa cum laude graduate of Berklee College of Music, where he studied arranging and contemporary writing. He also holds a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership.

Patera is the President of the Lake Michigan Association of Independent Schools (LMAIS) and serves on the board of Arts Schools Network (ASN).

A former “big guy” turned endurance athlete, Patera is the author of I Can Do Hard Things, or: How Much it Hurt to Run 100.6 Miles, which has inspired at least one person to take up running and many more to say, “oh, no – I’m absolutely never doing that”.