Frances Hardy is a teacher at Spartanburg High School who describes her teaching style as "firm but fair." She insists on having structure in her classroom because too many students come from backgrounds that have little structure. Comfortable as a facilitator, she actively engages her students in directed study sessions. If they are examining Emily Dickinson, for example, the students work in groups to present poems while she stands near the back of the room. Her students then become the focus, and their classmates must be ready to have a dialogue about each group's presentation. She wants each of them to feel empowered. By showing them the advantages of cooperative learning activities, Hardy helps them to become independent thinkers.

As a child, Frances was encouraged by her mother Elsie, a school custodian, to pretend that she was teaching her own class while waiting for her mother to finish her duties. Frances says her mother had the spirit of a true educator, and would often read to a class so that one of the teachers could take a quick break in the lounge. Frances also learned from her mother to live the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: 'All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.'

Bucking societal convention, Frances shocked some of those around her by not only pursuing her dream of higher education, but publishing a book of poetry. Frances graduated from Wofford College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She went on to earn a master of education degree in secondary education from Converse College and a doctorate of education in curriculum and instruction from the University of South Carolina. Frances is also National Board certified and has taught for twenty-three years. In 2007, she was the 2007 District Teacher of the Year for Spartanburg 7, and an "Honor Roll" Teacher for the state of South Carolina.

Principal Rodney Graves of Spartanburg High School describes Frances to be like a medical doctor. "She evaluates each student to determine what they need. She prescribes a plan to help them reach their goals and she does whatever it takes to help them be successful in her class and in life. . . . She often chooses to have the most challenging students so she can change their lives."

For pursuing educational excellence in others while possessing it herself, 107.3 JAMZ is proud to salute Dr. Frances L. Hardy as a 2008 Upstate Black History Maker.