Mrs. Hartl

Mrs. Hartl is the guidance counselor at Connie Kendall's school, Odyssey High. She watches over her students' progress toward graduation and looks for practical ways to keep them on track. When a missing government class threatened to delay Connie's diploma by a semester, Hartl offered an alternative. Connie could work on a mayoral campaign and write a report about the experience. Hartl is warm and encouraging, and she was quick to congratulate Connie on being chosen class valedictorian. She is also candid with her students. When school officials pressured Connie over the wording of a graduation prayer, Hartl told her that several Christian faculty members disliked the school's repeated surrender on the issue and would stand behind her. Even so, she stopped short of telling Connie what to do, trusting her to decide for herself.