The Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School in Devens opened its doors for the 30th year on Wednesday, Aug. 27, boasting a new principal and a redesigned front entrance that includes an expanded walkway, outdoor classroom, garden, and landscaping designed to allow students to congregate in a safe and appealing environment.
The Parker School, as it is more commonly known, is a public charter school hosting students from Harvard, Devens, and 44 other towns in central Massachusetts. It is home to grades seven through 12 and has approximately 400 students in total. The school was founded in 1995 by the late and longtime Harvard resident Theodore Sizer, who believed education should start with the student, not the educator.
Sizer was renowned in the field of public education, writing a number of books on the subject. One of his works, “Horace’s Compromise,” was a series of three commentaries written from the perspective of a fictional high school English teacher frustrated with what he believed was an outdated method of instructing students. From that work, Sizer founded the Coalition of Essential Schools in 1984, which led to the Parker School’s inception a little over a decade later.
Principal Rebecca “Bex” Wilusz.
A charter school is a public, tuition-free school that operates under a performance contract, known as a “charter,” with state or district authorization. In exchange for greater flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and schedule, it’s held to strict accountability for student outcomes and compliance with state laws. Enrollment is open and nonselective, determined entirely by a lottery system.
Bex Wilusz, principal of Parker, has “come home” to a school she considers foundational to her career, stepping into a restructured leadership model that frees Head of School Brian Harrigan to focus on initiatives like enrollment, facilities, and fundraising, while she concentrates on teaching and learning. “I taught here 20 years ago, and I love the school,” said Wilusz. “I really appreciate being able to not just know students by their name, but actually know them as people, know their families, understand them as learners, and know how to work with them.”
Diving deep
The mission of the Parker School incorporates 10 common principles as a framework for progressive, student-centered education. (See below.). “We’re intentionally small and essential, which is in our name,” Harrigan said in a joint interview with Wilusz and the Press. “It means we’re going to go deep, get to know kids really well. We’re not going to go wide in the way a comprehensive school would, meaning we don’t have some of the elective offerings. Part of that’s a size issue, but it’s also a choice. Whatever we do, we’re going to do it deeply and well.”
Head of School Brian Harrigan. (Photos by Jen Manell)
“I am really excited to continue to work with the staff on understanding culturally responsive teaching and how to make sure that our school is welcoming to all students,” said Wilusz. “Whether it’s our neurodiverse students, our LGBTQIA+ students, or our students who come from different cultural and racial backgrounds,
I think it’s so important, especially in this climate, for us to ensure that every student feels a sense of belonging and connection to school.”
Parental perspective
Pam Gordon, Harvard resident and chair of the Parker School Board of Trustees, has three children who have attended the charter school. “I wanted a school that treated children as whole people, where they would be known well by adults and supported in both rigor and relationships. Parker does that beautifully,” she said. Her eldest, Hannah, graduated from Parker in 2022 and went on to study at Colby College in Maine, where she will graduate next year. Gordon’s middle son, Ethan (Parker class of 2024), is currently attending Wesleyan University in Connecticut. Her youngest son, Jacob, is a senior at Bromfield.
Jacob attended Parker for seventh and eighth grade. “The deal with our kids has always been ‘Try it for a year. If you want to come back to the Harvard Public Schools, they have to take you,’” said Gordon. “Jacob’s first year was during COVID-19, so he was remote for almost the whole year.
At the end of that, we said, ‘You actually have to try it one more year when you’re in person.’ But he had a really good group of friends [at Bromfield] and wanted to come back, and that was fine.”
Another Parker parent, Sima Baran of Harvard, said she and her husband, Paul, chose Parker for their two children based on its “students in the driver’s seat of their education” approach, the emphasis on depth over breadth, and the project-based learning that includes extensive feedback and revision. Baran’s son, Alec Robertson, is a freshman at Parker, and her daughter, Aylin, is in her first year at the school, in seventh grade. Baran said the transition was difficult at times, but they have no regrets about moving to the charter.
“There was some FOMO [fear of missing out] for Alec,” said Baran of her son’s first year at Parker. “I think that was hard. And maintaining friendships outside of school at that age was a challenge. He’s still in touch with some of his close friends from Bromfield. We have no regrets. I always tell Brian [Harrigan] that I’m actually upset Parker didn’t start in the sixth grade. I would’ve happily gone from [Hildreth Elementary] to Parker.”
There are many other charter schools in addition to the Parker School that Harvard students have the option to attend. Filling out online applications will gain students access to the lottery. The only preference given in a lottery is for geographical location and sibling priority. Charter schools with geographical priority for Harvard residents include the Sizer School: A North Central Charter Essential School in Fitchburg (grades 7-12); the Innovation Academy Charter School in Tyngsborough (grades 5–12); and the Advanced Math & Science Academy in Marlborough (grades 6-12), though its priority does not include Harvard specifically.
According to U.S. News & World Report, five of the top 10 ranked high schools in the state are charter schools. Still, only 7% of Parker’s students come from Harvard. “Parker’s greatest challenge isn’t what happens inside the classroom,” said Gordon. “It’s communicating to the outside world just how remarkable the education is.”
The Parker School’s 10 Common Principles
1. Learning to use one’s mind well
The school’s central aim is to help students become thoughtful, critical, and independent learners.
2. Less is more, depth over coverage
Focus on essential skills and knowledge, studied deeply, rather than superficially covering vast content.
3. Goals apply to all students
High expectations for every student; no tracking or sorting by ability.
4. Personalization
Teaching and learning should be tailored so that each student is well known and supported.
5. Student-as-worker, teacher-as-coach
Emphasize active, engaged learning rather than passive absorption of information.
6. Demonstration of mastery
Students show their learning through exhibitions, portfolios, or projects—not just standardized tests.
7. A tone of decency and trust
Schools should cultivate respect, fairness, and responsibility in relationships between students and adults.
8. Commitment to the entire school
Staff work collaboratively, share responsibility for all students, and are dedicated to the school’s mission.
9. Resources dedicated to teaching and learning
Budgets, schedules, and decisions prioritize student learning over other concerns.
10. Democracy and equity
Schools should model democratic practices and provide equal access to high-quality education for all students.
