ARKTIK Governance Framework

ARKTIK Education operates in high-stakes environments: courts, districts, agencies, and families under stress.


This page explains how we govern ourselves so judges, general counsel, and partners can understand our guardrails in a few minutes.

We are designed to be:

  • Audit-ready by default – documented, reconstructable decisions

  • Governed, not ad hoc – written standards, version control, and review

  • Aligned with institutions – built to work with courts and districts, not around them

Who We Are – And What We Are Not

Who we are

ARKTIK Education is a standards-aligned education organization focused on:

  • Homeschool and stability programs for vulnerable students and families

  • Truancy and disengagement prevention via structured “Truancy Shield” models

  • Documentation that can withstand scrutiny from courts, districts, and agencies

We operate under a Civic Dignity commitment: we treat families as partners, not suspects, and design our systems to minimize stigma and confusion.

What we are not

For clarity and risk management, ARKTIK Education is not:

  • Not a law firm.
    We do not provide legal advice, draft pleadings as counsel, or represent parties in court. Families and institutions are encouraged to consult their own attorneys.

  • Not a medical or mental health clinic.
    We do not diagnose, treat, or bill for medical or behavioral health services. We do not maintain clinical medical records or psychotherapy notes.

  • Not a CPS, law enforcement, or investigative agency.
    We do not conduct investigations or substitute for statutory agencies.

We are an education and documentation partner. Our work is designed to plug into, not replace, the roles of attorneys, clinicians, or government agencies.

Governance Structure

ARKTIK Education operates on a written governance framework documented in internal repositories and periodically reviewed.

1. Governance leadership

  • Founder / Executive Director – owns final accountability for governance, risk, and alignment with ARKTIK’s mission.

  • Governance & Safeguards Lead – stewards written policies, coordinates updates, and ensures they are reflected in systems and workflows.

  • Product / Program Owners – ensure each program (e.g., Truancy Shield, homeschool tracks, concierge services) complies with governance standards in day-to-day operations.

2. Policy lifecycle

Governance policies follow a clear lifecycle:

  1. Draft – created in our internal GitHub org as markdown with change history.

  2. Review – reviewed by Governance & Safeguards, program owners, and, where appropriate, external counsel or advisors.

  3. Adopt – versioned and tagged as “current” in the internal repo and referenced in our M365/SharePoint system of record.

  4. Implement – mapped into templates, forms, and checklists used by staff.

  5. Review / sunset – revisited on a regular review cycle or when law, vendor platforms, or risk posture changes.

3. System of record

  • M365 / SharePoint is the system of record for finalized policies, templates, and case-relevant documentation.

  • GitHub is the system of design and change-tracking for governance documents, technical standards, and internal playbooks.

Oversight, Reviews, and Enforcement

Governance only matters if it is lived. ARKTIK Education uses the following mechanisms to keep governance real and current:

1. Periodic governance reviews

  • Core governance documents (e.g., ARKTIK Governance, Data Residency & Privacy, AI-Assisted Drafts & Review, External Partners & Confidentiality) are reviewed at least annually, or sooner if law or risk changes.

  • Material changes are recorded with version numbers and dates in the internal GitHub repository and surfaced to staff via M365.

2. Program and case audits

  • Sample program files and Truancy Shield cases are periodically checked for:

    • Compliance with documentation standards

    • Respect for data boundaries (no PHI, no unnecessary sensitive detail)

    • Consistency with partner contracts and court/district expectations

Findings are used to improve templates, training, and controls.

3. Issue and incident response

  • Suspected governance breaches (e.g., use of unapproved tools, improper data handling) are investigated.

  • Where necessary, we:

    • Contain the issue

    • Notify affected partners consistent with law and contract

    • Adjust processes, training, or technical controls to prevent recurrence

4. Exceptions and approvals

  • If a program or partner requires an exception to a standard (for example, use of a specific system), that exception is:

    • Documented in writing

    • Time-limited and scoped

    • Approved at the appropriate governance level (e.g., Governance & Safeguards Lead and/or Executive Director)

This ensures exceptions remain rare, deliberate, and traceable.

Downloads

For partners who need governance in a printable, attachable format:

  • ARKTIK Governance Overview (PDF)
    2–3 page executive summary of our governance model, data boundaries, and oversight processes. Suitable for court files, GC review, and partner due diligence.

  • ARKTIK Internal Controls Snapshot (PDF) (coming later)
    1-page summary of our key controls (identity, access, data residency, documentation) for corporate and institutional partners.