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State Board approves Hartwood Charter enrollment and curriculum changes, asks trustees to revise leadership structure
Summary
The board approved a charter amendment covering enrollment plans and a refined curriculum for Hartwood Charter School but asked the charter's trustees to return with clearer governance language and job descriptions before approving the proposed three-person leadership model.
The State Board of Education approved portions of a charter amendment from Hartwood Charter School — specifically the enrollment plan and curriculum refinements — but asked the school's trustees to revise and resubmit the governance and leadership provisions before the board grants full charter amendment approval.
Talbert from the charter school office introduced Elena Signorello and Bethany Bond from Hartwood. The board discussed a proposal to eliminate a single head of school and instead operate with three coequal directors (operations, curriculum, and another director). Several board members said the three-person "triumvirate" presents unresolved accountability questions: who hires and disciplines staff, who fires teachers, and how disputes among the coequal directors would be handled. One board member summarized the concern: without a clear hierarchy or clear job descriptions, day-to-day personnel and discipline issues could repeatedly be referred to the board.
Hartwood representatives said the trustees would hire the directors and that job duties would be defined, but board members requested stronger, more specific job descriptions and described scenarios (hiring, discipline, personnel files, termination decisions) that must be addressed in charter or policy. After discussion the board moved to approve the enrollment and curriculum sections of the amendment and directed the school to revise the leadership/governance language and submit the updated documents for further review.
The board’s action allowed the school to proceed with the approved enrollment and curriculum changes while the leadership structure is redrafted. Department staff said the charter amendment materials must specify who has ultimate administrative responsibility and how conflicts among directors will be escalated and resolved.
