TFRW March Woman of Distinction
Patricia “Pat” Hardy, a lifelong educator, was elected to serve District 11 of the State Board of Education in November 2002 and re-elected in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2014.
During her tenure on the board, Hardy, a Republican, has served on all three of the board’s committees. She currently serves on the board’s Committee on School Finance/Permanent School Fund, which oversees the Permanent School Fund, the nation’s largest education endowment. The committee also oversees some funding and auditing policies. During her tenure on the board, Hardy at various times has served as vice chair and chair of this committee.
Hardy also served on the Ad Hoc Committee on the Long-Range Plan for Public Education.
Hardy retired in 2017 as an instructional specialist in the Weatherford Independent School District. For five years she served the district as the Social Studies Coordinator. Previously, she taught high school world history and world geography for 30 years at Castleberry High School in Fort Worth.
Hardy has received numerous education-related honors including the Secondary Teacher of the Year, Castleberry Independent School District, 1997; Alumnus of the Year, Howard Payne University, 1996; Teacher of the Year, River Oaks Chamber of Commerce, 1995; Texas Alliance for Geographic Education Distinguished Service Award, 2000; National Council for Geographic Education Distinguished Teaching Award, 2001; and the 1998 Texas Excellence in Education Award from The University of Texas Ex-Students’ Association. In 2005 she was named Texas Social Studies Supervisor of the Year by the Texas Social Studies Supervisors Association.
Hardy was selected three times to participate in the Fulbright Seminar Abroad program, traveling to Egypt in 1988, Turkey in 1990, and China in 1994. She made numerous presentations to various civic and educational groups upon returning from those trips.
Hardy has served on many state and national education boards and committees. In 1988, she served on the state geography textbook committee and in 1997 and 1998, served on the writing team for the state’s U.S. History End-of-Course examination. She was a member of the 2001 Texas Education Agency advisory team on the social studies portion of the state’s new standardized test, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. She is a teacher consultant with the National Geographic Society Education division. She has served the Society since 1989 as the Texas Coordinator for the National Geographic Bee.
She has also served on the board for the Texas Council for the Social Studies as well as the executive board for the Texas Social Studies Supervisors Association. Presently she is serving on the state Steering Committee for the Texas Alliance for Geographic Education as well as on a national panel on teacher alliances for the National Geographic Society. Hardy began her statewide involvement in education reform after being appointed by the Texas Speaker of the House to both the Texas Education Economic Policy Center in 1989 and to the state’s Committee on Student Learning in 1992. These boards laid the foundation for the Texas public education system reform movement.
Hardy holds a master’s degree in Secondary Education and History from the University of North Texas and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Studies from Howard Payne University.
As a member of the State Board of Education, Hardy represents Parker County and parts of Dallas and Tarrant counties. Tarrant Star Republican Women is proud to claim Pat as a member!
