Dr. Hartwell Approved As Assistant Principal

JEFFERSON — Dr. Jennifer Hartwell was approved as the new assistant principal at Gum Springs Elementary School during a Thursday night Board of Education work session.

Dr. Hartwell will join the administrative team under the direction of new principal Joshua Todd, who was approved in May. 

“We are excited to have Dr. Jennifer Hartwell join our GSES administrative team,” Todd said. “She has spent her entire 20-year career investing in children, most recently as a Special Education Instructional Lead at GSES. Her knowledge, professionalism, and passion for kids are attributes that will contribute to the continued success of our school. We are proud to have her on our team.”

Dr. Hartwell served as the instructional lead for Special Education at GSES for one year. Prior to her role at GSES, Dr. Hartwell served as a Speech-Language Pathologist in Gwinnett County, since 2003. 

“I think it is an honor and our team is going to be very strong,” Dr. Hartwell said. “They really value my experience in special education and we have a very unique community at Gum Springs. Mr. Todd felt like I was going to be able to fill in that missing puzzle piece for them. 

“We need to bring a positive culture with our teachers and I think (Mr. Todd) is going to be very strong with our teachers and our community. It is going to be a good transition from one strong leader, in Lisa Ellis, to another.” 

Dr. Hartwell holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Georgia, a Master of Education Degree from Georgia State University and a Clinical Doctoral Degree in Speech-language Pathology from Valdosta State University. Dr. Hartwell recently completed her Tier 1 Certification in Educational Leadership from UGA.