David Hardin
Lead Founder & Executive Director
David Hardin is the Lead Founder and Executive Director of Aurum Preparatory Academy (“Aurum Prep”).
Mr. Hardin completed the prestigious, Building Excellent Schools Fellowship and a Fellowship in the Educate78 School Design Lab. Through these Fellowships, he studied at some of the highest performing schools, both in Oakland and around the country, in order to inform the school design of Aurum Prep, and worked closely with school leaders of the highest performing charter schools. Mr. Hardin, an award winning educator, with experience teaching both middle and high school students. He has also successfully coached and trained teachers and school leaders in an urban setting as an education consultant. Mr. Hardin is a graduate of Morehouse College with a BA in both Political Science and Spanish. Mr. Hardin also holds a Masters degree in Educational Leadership.
“As a child, I grew up in poverty and was placed on a track in school that did not lead to college or many life opportunities. Were it not for my mother and father's intervention, there would still not be a college graduate in my family. In ninth grade, I distinctly remember my mother taking me to the principal’s office and insisting that I be put on the college prep track. I now have the great fortune of being the first person in my family to graduate from college. Unfortunately, for children in poverty, my story is not the norm. It is the exception. My story represents the enormous challenge we face in Oakland as well as the promise of a better future for our students. Studies have shown that college graduates can earn over a million dollars more in a lifetime as compared to peers who do not hold a college degree. At Aurum Preparatory Academy, college is our expectation.”
The creation and success of Aurum Preparatory Academy represents the collaborative efforts and wishes of the parents and families in the Oakland community for a quality education for their students.