David P. Hardy
Distinguished Senior Fellow
David P. Hardy is a Distinguished Senior Fellow with the Commonwealth Foundation.
David is the Co-Founder and retired CEO of Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia charter school. Boys’ Latin, which opened in 2007 in West Philadelphia, is Pennsylvania’s first and only single-gender charter school. It has a student body that is 98 percent African-American and 74 percent economically disadvantaged. Blending classical studies with contemporary pedagogy, Boys’ Latin offers rigorous coursework and an extensive selection of extra-curricular activities including robotics, drama, entrepreneurship, mock trial, and ten varsity sports. In its first four graduating classes, Boys’ Latin sent 85 percent of its graduates to post-secondary education—80 percent of which attended four-year colleges. The school’s students matriculate into the finest colleges and universities in the nation including Pomona, Bowdoin, Carleton, Penn, UVA, and Penn State, as well as 13 of the 14 members of Pennsylvania’s state university system. Boys’ Latin added a middle school in 2013, increasing enrollment to 850 students to make it the largest 6—12 grade all-male school of any type in the region. Boys’ Latin has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and on NBC with Megyn Kelly.
After retiring from Boys’ Latin in 2017, David served as the Executive Director of Excellent Schools PA, a school choice advocacy organization. He also is the principal of a consulting practice, Parkway Educational Consultants.
David currently serves on the boards of the Center for Education Reform, the Pennsylvania State Coalition of Public Charter Schools, Independence Mission Schools, and Ad Prima Charter School, which he chairs. He is member of the Steering Committee for the Freedom Coalition for Charter schools and on the boards of the North Carolina Outward Bound School and the Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center. David was a founding board member of the Philadelphia Schools Partnership and is a former board member of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO).
David lives in Center City Philadelphia with his wife of 35 years, Zina Oliver-Hardy. They have two adult sons.
Education
School Choice Report, Episode 20
Our guest in this episode is CEO and President of Pennsylvania Families for Education Choice Sharon Sedlar. She strongly believes that parents are uniquely qualified to make educational decisions for…
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School Choice Report, Episode 19
From working to expand tax credit scholarships to educating everyone from elected officials to parents on the benefits of school choice, Stephen (Steve) Bloom is a leading voice on one…
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Poorer children need the same choices as richer children
Originally published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette One evening, a young man needed help with his Algebra 2 homework, so he called the helpline for my school’s credit-recovery program. The…
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School Choice Report, Episode 18
What drives someone to take a stand for school choice when his or her peers pose fierce opposition? What are parents who want more educational choice saying to elected officials?…
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Sen. Lindsey Williams supports school choice—But only for the wealthy
Originally published at The Philadelphia Tribune I don’t know what I did or said to inspire state Sen. Lindsey Williams to storm out of a recent Senate Education Committee…
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School Choice Report, Episode 17
Margaret “Macke” Raymond is the Director of the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) based at Stanford University. She has steered the group to national prominence as a rigorous…
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School Choice Report, Episode 16
Ryan Boyer is the business manager of Laborers’ District Council and head of the Philadelphia Building & Construction Trades Council. It’s been written that he’s a no-nonsense operator in the…
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School Choice Report, Episode 15
Georgia State Representative and school choice champion Mesa Mainor made headlines across the nation when she left the Democratic Party after her party attacked her when she decided to stand…
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School Choice Report, Episode 14
We are excited to have CEO & founder of Q&A, co-founder of Venice Music, and school choice advocate Troy Carter join the show! Mr. Carter’s connections to Philadelphia strong,…
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School Choice Report, Episode 11
In this episode, President and CEO of the Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia Keisha Jordan joins host David Hardy. Ms. Jordan is a dedicated nonprofit leader with 20 years of experience…
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School Choice Report, Episode 10
In this episode, host Dave Hardy interviews Pennsylvania State Representative Martina White. We find out the “why” behind her support of school choice, why the issue is important, and why…
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School Choice Report, Episode 9
What’s happening in Pennsylvania’s capitol? Why did Governor Shapiro renege on his handshake deal and outward support of Lifeline Scholarships? What should we expect in the days, weeks, and months…
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School Choice Report, Episode 8
In this episode, host Dave Hardy interviews Guy Ciarrocchi. Guy recently joined Commonwealth Foundation as a Fellow. They talk about the hottest topic of the day in PA – Lifeline…
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School Choice Report, Episode 7
Pastor Josh Robertson of The Rock Church in Harrisburg, PA joins our seventh episode of the School Choice Report podcast. He has an incredible story with valuable connections to the…
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School Choice Report, Episode 5
In this week’s episode of School Choice Report, host David Hardy welcomes Commonwealth Foundation Executive Vice President Jennifer Stefano. They discuss the recent mayoral primary in Philadelphia and what it…
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School Choice Report, Episode 4
In this week’s School Choice Report, host David Hardy welcomes special guest Jeff Yass, co-founder and managing partner of Susquehanna International Group (SIG). Jeff is known for his unwavering support…
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School Choice Report, Episode 3
There have been countless battles for the right to properly educate, give agency to, and give education access to Black children. In this episode, Dr. Howard Fuller continues the conversation…
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School Choice Report, Episode 2
There have been countless battles for the right to properly educate, give agency to, and give education access to Black children. In this episode, Dr. Howard Fuller joins the conversation.
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School Choice Report, Episode 1
In this inaugural episode of School Choice Report, host David Hardy will take a deep dive into school choice with special guest and Sr. Vice President of the Commonwealth Foundation…
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Where is all the education money going?
Originally published in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Reviewhttps://triblive.com/opinion/david-p-hardy-where-is-all-the-education-money-going/ State and national media are spotlighting Pennsylvania’s education funding system in the wake of a long-awaited Commonwealth Court decision. While the…
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David Hardy Speaks at School Choice Week Press Conference
Commonwealth Foundation Distinguished Sr. Fellow David Hardy speaks during the 2023 kick-off to School Choice Week.Show less…
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