Dogwood Charter presents Charlotte Mason model at Baldwin-Whitehall hearing; board will decide by March 1, 2025

A representative of Dogwood Charter School presented the school's charter proposal and curriculum model to the Baldwin-Whitehall School District Board during a hearing in which no public commenters signed up to speak.

The presenter described Dogwood as a Charlotte Mason–inspired program that emphasizes “whole books” and student-led learning and said the school would prioritize special-education research and staff training. The board’s administration will complete its review and make a recommendation at a future meeting; the board will vote on the application before March 1, 2025.

The hearing began after the board confirmed a quorum and noted the agenda had been posted on the Baldwin-Whitehall School District website at least 24 hours in advance. The board set the format for the hearing: the applicant would have 20 minutes for a presentation and members of the public would be allowed three minutes each for comments; the record shows no public commenters signed up.

The Dogwood representative said the school would use “whole books that [are] narrative and informational rather than relying solely on textbooks,” and emphasized a classroom approach she described as a ‘‘constructivist’’ method in which students ‘‘read and narrate and converse about living ideas that promote their real thinking.’’ The presenter said Dogwood would teach math through “real life problems” rather than memorization of procedures.

On special education, the presenter said Dogwood plans a five-year research effort to measure whether an exclusively constructivist classroom reduces the need for pull-out instruction and to track assessment data for students with special needs. She said the school would “invest deeply in staff training and professional development” and invite Baldwin-Whitehall staff to observe classrooms and join trainings.

The presenter said Dogwood modeled its program on Gillingham Charter School in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and stated that Gillingham has been open for 13 years with about 250 enrolled students, serving roughly 25–30% special-education students and 60–75% economically disadvantaged students. The presenter acknowledged that Gillingham’s assessment scores compare low to statewide averages but said annual academic growth data showed improvement that aligns with state standards.

The presenter also stated that Dogwood’s same charter application had been denied by Bethel Park School District and that the school successfully appealed to the Pennsylvania Charter Appeal Board, which granted the charter in March 2022; the presenter offered handouts with the Appeal Board decision and supporting research.

Board members asked no substantive questions during the record of the presentation shown in the transcript. After the presentation, the board chair (identified in roll call and meeting procedure) asked if there were any questions; none were offered. The district superintendent and solicitor reported no additional items for the hearing record.

Next steps noted on the record: district administration will finish its review of the Dogwood application, present a recommendation to the board at a future meeting, and the board will vote on the application before March 1, 2025. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn that was seconded and approved by voice vote.

No public comment concerning the Dogwood application is recorded in the transcript provided.