Charles Hartney isn’t just the Head of Upper School and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator at the Park School of Buffalo. He’s a former English teacher, a details guy with a love for organization, and a leader on a journey to authentic school leadership.
Charles’ story is about embracing change, finding authenticity, and orchestrating a symphony of collaborative innovation.
Charles has been at his current school for 14 years occupying roles from teacher to dean. His experience fundamentally changed when he moved from the classroom to administration, right after the start of the pandemic. The school saw significant turnover in teaching faculty and administration during this time, leading to substantial changes.
“I had been at the school for almost ten years and was a classroom teacher and built up really strong relationships with colleagues who knew me really well,” Charles shares. “And then I became an administrator. I didn’t change fundamentally, but the work that I did changed. And there were a lot of new faces.”
Charles realized that the people who had known him for a long time knew one version of him, while those who had known him for a shorter period only knew him as an administrator. This realization led him to want to show up more fully and authentically, showing everyone the fullest version of who he was.
It was this desire for authenticity that led Charles to seek out resources like the Build Leadership Momentum book.
“I was thinking about my mindset and my sort of authentic self coming to school,” he explains. “I was thinking about the culture and the community of the school and trying to be really intentional about those things specifically.”
The Build Leadership Momentum book resonated with Charles immediately.
“The format of the book, I knew what I was getting, and I think it delivered on exactly what it promised and what I was looking for, which was a book with practical strategies, with guidelines and frameworks you could put to use immediately,” he recalls.
Charles brought to life several initiatives within his school after reading the book. He implemented regular community gatherings, established a culture team involving both staff and students, and introduced a “Pioneers of the Month” program to celebrate excellence.
“We instituted Pioneers of the Month this year in the Upper School, celebrating both students and a faculty or staff member every month,” Charles shares. “That was a huge win, because though I’m not a cheerleader, I was able to sort of lead a celebration of the great work that we do every day at the school and highlight some students and a faculty and staff member who really contribute to the overall culture of the school.”
One key lesson Charles learned was the importance of involving students in the process.
“Park is a school that’s rooted in the progressive education philosophy of John Dewey, and our students are seen more as collaborators and colleagues than they are empty vessels that need to be filled with knowledge.”
This approach has been transformative for their school culture and community.
“I think I’m bringing a different version of myself to school every day. We’re out of the thick of the pandemic. We are sort of moving more intentionally towards the kind of school and upper school that we want to be. And I think that has given me some reassurance that we’re taking steps in the right direction.”
Ready to Reimagine Education and Do School Different?
Charles Hartney’s transformation to a more authentic and effective leader is an inspiration. If his story resonates with you, if you’re ready to move beyond the confines of your current leadership style and into the realm of collective empowerment, the Build Leadership Momentum book could be your catalyst.
“You don’t have to be in a moment of crisis to seek help, to get unstuck or to think again about the work that you do. If anybody out there is like me and has been resistant to help in the past or feels like they might be burdening other people by asking for help or just feels like they should have all the answers, I would encourage you to find ways to get yourself unstuck, to seek out that help.”
Whenever you’re ready here are 3 ways we can help:
- Read Build Leadership Momentum
- Join the waitlist for The Ruckus Maker Club.
- Apply to The Ruckus Maker Mastermind.
