CHARLES HARTNEY,
HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL
MEET our head of upper school
Mr. Charles Hartney, our Head of Upper School, is committed to fostering a school culture that prioritizes academic challenge, nurtures intellectual curiosity, and cultivates a deep sense of belonging in all members of the Park community.
“At Park, students get the best of both worlds,” says Mr. Hartney. “They establish deep academic foundations through our core requirements and have the opportunity to explore burgeoning interests and passions through our elective offerings and cocurricular programming. Our graduates leave with the skills essential to success beyond Park, including a profound sense of who they are and how they can share their talents with the wider community.”
Mr. Hartney joined the faculty at Park in the fall of 2010 as a middle and upper school English teacher. Subsequently, he has served in a variety of roles at Park, including English department coordinator; scheduling coordinator; diversity, equity, and inclusion coordinator; Upper School Dean of Students; and Director of Grades 7-12. He has been Head of Upper School since 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius University and the University at Buffalo and a recipient of an Outstanding Educator Award from the University of Chicago.
If you have any questions about the Upper School, including the academic program, extracurriculars, and student life, please contact Mr. Hartney at chartney@theparkschool.org or at 716-839-1243 x 244.
curriculum Overview
Our Upper School curriculum is grounded in our progressive principles, which provide an experiential, individually-focused, and collaborative learning environment with a special emphasis on college readiness.
Ours is a rigorous liberal arts curriculum requiring four credits in each of our five core disciplines - English, history, mathematics, science, and world languages. At the same time, our students are encouraged to explore their strengths through our wide array of elective offerings in both our core departments and in the arts, an approach that prioritizes each student’s pursuit of their passions and interests.
In all disciplines, we stress key skills and competencies that will best prepare our students for their lives after Park: critical thinking and problem solving; clear, cogent expression in written and oral communication; diligence and work ethic; and collaboration and teamwork.
These foster in our students the confidence and compassion necessary to serve and lead in the world beyond Park and to help create a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable future.
