Mr. Hartmann came to IDEA in early 2020 as a substitute teacher, then assisted with Spanish I classes and helped in other classrooms. He has worked extensively with young people in varied settings, including as a Boy Scout leader, teaching in and running a junior sailing camp, and parenting. He believes that growth results from a never-ending process of putting in effort, experiencing the results, (hopefully) considering the outcome, and repeating.  

 

Before deciding to become a teacher, Mr. Hartmann was a lawyer, beginning his career as a law clerk to a federal judge in 1990 and 1991. He then moved on to a position as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice for four years and then associate counsel at Hogan & Hartson for two years. He went to Verizon Communications in 1998 and spent 20 years in the legal department, advising on business disputes and regulatory matters, negotiating and drafting contracts, and supervising litigation in federal and state courts and regulatory agencies.   

 

Mr. Hartmann enjoys time with his wife and sort-of adult children, Ben and Cassie, especially doing outdoor activities.

 

The quote that inspires him is: “Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” - Barack Obama