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David Hardy, selected earlier this year as a ‘Future Chief’ by Chiefs for Change, has been named the CEO of the Lorain School District in Ohio. Hardy currently serves as Deputy Superintendent of Academics for St. Louis Public Schools, where he helped lead the district back to full accreditation. He was selected out of a field of 37 applicants and five finalists to lead the Lorain School District.
“Successful state and district education Chiefs point to mentors or senior colleagues who inspired and encouraged them on their pathway to become a leader,” said Chiefs for Change CEO Mike Magee. “Future Chiefs is about mentorship, with a particular focus on ushering more diverse candidates into the talent pool for Chief jobs, both at the state level and district level.”
Hardy’s teaching career began in Miami-Dade Public Schools in 2003. Since then, he served as Chief of Academic Support for Philadelphia Public Schools overseeing six departments — Curriculum, Assessment, Special Education, English Language Learners, Career and Technical Education, and Early Childhood Education. Previously, Hardy was the Executive Director of Regional Achievement for the New Jersey Department of Education. During his tenure, David led one of several Regional Achievement Centers in New Jersey and also facilitated the turnaround of 30 public schools in the Camden County area. He has over 14 years of experience in education leadership, curriculum, professional development, and classroom teaching. David also served as the founding principal of Achievement First East New York Middle School in Brooklyn, NY, and as a consultant for the New York Department of Education. David was the recipient of the Francisco R. Walker Teacher of the Year Award during his time with the Miami-Dade Public Schools. Most recently, he was selected to the Board of Trustees for Columbia College in Missouri.
In his most current role as Deputy Superintendent of Academics for St. Louis Public Schools, Hardy was charged with setting and meeting academic standards, developing instructional resources, and creating best-in-class educational offerings that addressed the needs of the district’s students. During his tenure, he supported the development of the academic office, district strategic plan, and corresponding academic initiatives.
The Lorain School District was classified by the state of Ohio in 2013 as under academic distress due to failing test scores and poor state report card grades. Per State House Bill 70, if a district is under academic distress for four years, a commission will be formed to select a CEO for the school district. The commission recognized Hardy as bringing the right experience, skills, and leadership to lead the district toward improvement. Commission chairman, Tony Richardson, speaking to the local paper stated, “We ultimately felt Hardy was the best choice because he has a history of turning around schools.”
In February of 2017, Chiefs for Change announced that it had selected Hardy as one of eight Future Chiefs in the program’s second cohort. Chiefs for Change is helping to build a diverse pipeline of Future Chiefs by identifying bold and innovative state and district education leaders. They participate in a year-long program of coaching, mentorship, and collective learning, with the support of some of the nation’s most successful state and local Chiefs.
Read more about Hardy’s selection here.
ABOUT CHIEFS FOR CHANGE
Chiefs for Change is a coalition of state and district education Chiefs dedicated to excellence and equity for all students. Chiefs for Change members lead education systems serving 5.3 million students, 350,000 teachers, and 10,000 schools.