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 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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Krasner Isn’t Philadelphia’s Only Problem—It’s Education System Is
Originally published in The Philadelphia Citizen Underscoring Philadelphia’s crime problem, the Pennsylvania House voted to impeach the City’s district attorney Larry Krasner. As Philadelphia’s…
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Pittsburgh students need educational freedom, not more special interest funding
Pennsylvania’s leading gubernatorial candidates both support Lifeline Scholarships, a proposal to give students in underperforming schools around $7,000 in education funding. This is good news for Pittsburgh students, especially for those…
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Extracurriculars Keep Our Students Safe
Originally published at The Philadelphia Citizen The murder outside the Roxborough High School and Boys’ Latin junior varsity football scrimmage is a heinous tragedy. Five teenagers were shot,…
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Philadelphia’s school board needs to get out of charter authorizing
Originally published at Broad + Liberty The Philadelphia school board is the sole authorizer of the city’s charter schools — and its record doesn’t look good. Just days before…
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David Hardy discusses educational opportunity on The Dom Giordano Program
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David Hardy discusses educational opportunity in Pennsylvania on Fox & Friends
Commonwealth Foundation Distinguished Senior Fellow David P. Hardy discusses educational opportunity in Pennsylvania on Fox & Friends.
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Excellent Education Isn’t for the Select Few
Originally published in The Philadelphia Citizen Recent controversy over admission standards for Philadelphia’s selective schools made me think of my wife’s journey to attend Masterman when it…
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Our students need a ‘lifeline’ and HB 2169 is it
Originally published in the Bucks County Courier Times This month, the Pennsylvania House has been abuzz with anticipation of a vote on Lifeline Scholarship Program, or …
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Gov. Wolf Should Pick the Side of Students
Originally published in The Philadelphia Citizen All students—regardless of their race, sex, or birthplace—deserve the opportunity to succeed. They deserve education choices. But school boards—and most recently, Gov. Tom…
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Op-Ed: Chicago’s Lessons for Philadelphia Schools
Originally published in The Philadelphia Citizen At 8 years old, my Saturday haunt was the North Philadelphia Woolworths five and dime on 25th and Lehigh. I would prowl the…
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