Francis W. Parker School (Chicago)
Francis W. Parker School is an independent school serving students who live in the Chicago area from junior kindergarten through twelfth (senior year in high school) grade. Located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, the school is based on the progressive education philosophies of John Dewey and Colonel Francis Wayland Parker, emphasizing community and citizenship.[7] Tuition and fees range from $29,710 for kindergarten to $37,240 for grade 12.[8]
Francis W. Parker School | |
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Address | |
330 W. Webster Ave. Chicago , 60614 United States | |
Coordinates | 41.9227°N 87.6379°W |
Information | |
School type | Independent Private school |
Motto | Everything to help and nothing to hinder [1] |
Opened | 1901[1] |
Founder | Col. Francis W. Parker[1] |
CEEB code | 140830[2] |
Principal | Dan Frank[3] |
Staff | 244 |
Grades | Junior Kindergarten–12 |
Gender | coeducational |
Enrollment | 939 (Total; 2019–20) 395 (Elementary) 218 (Middle) 326 (High School) |
Average class size | 67 |
Campus type | urban |
Color(s) | blue white[4] |
Slogan | Everything to help, nothing to hinder |
Song | "We Thy Children" |
Athletics conference | ISL |
Mascot | The Eagle |
Team name | Colonels[4] |
Accreditation | North Central Association of Colleges and Schools[5] |
Newspaper | The Weekly |
Yearbook | The Record |
School fees | $310–$2,480[6] |
Tuition | $29,300–$37,240 (does not include charitable donation)[6] |
Website | http://www.fwparker.org |
History
Founded in 1901, Parker boasts the first official parents' association as well as one of the first school newspapers to be written, typeset, and printed by students: The Parker Weekly, which began publishing in 1911.[9]
Parker has 944 students, and has undergone considerable physical renovation between 2000 and 2009. Parker added an AstroTurf field which started construction in June 2012, and it was finished in September 2012. During the 2008–09 school year, the Auditorium was completely renovated, with new classrooms, more seating, office space and a balcony. In the 2016–17 school year, renovation began for the new Kovler family library. The new library will include a balcony, reading nooks, a Lego table, and movable bookshelves. [10] [11]
Parker announced that the University of Chicago will take over publishing responsibilities for the school's publication of Schools: Studies in Education, a national education journal featuring the narrative and analytic reflections of educators and students nationwide.[12] The school is a member of the Chicago Independent School League (ISL).[13]
Many notable figures have spoken at Parker during the school's tri-weekly assemblies known as "Morning Exercise," including Barack Obama, Albert Einstein, Jane Addams, and John Lewis. In addition, the Chicago Humanities Festival frequently utilizes Parker's auditorium for guest speakers. Doris Kearns Goodwin, Camille Paglia, and Ta-Nehisi Coates have all spoken at Parker's Heller Auditorium for the festival.
Student activities
Athletics
Parker is part of the Independent School League (ISL) athletic conference,[14] and its team name is the Colonel named after the school's founder, Colonel Francis Wayland Parker. Parker's colonel mascot was "retired" before the 2017–18 school year, and a new eagle mascot named "The Eagle" was introduced as the new mascot as a way to better connect with younger students.[15] The school has six sports during the fall season with eighteen interscholastic teams, three sports in the winter with fourteen teams, and five sports in the spring season with nineteen teams throughout the middle and high school. Parker has a no-cut policy regarding its athletic department in both the middle and high school, meaning any student who tries out for a team will make it, and over 65 percent of the students play on at least one team throughout the academic year. The high school hosts both varsity and junior varsity teams. Francis W. Parker School (Chicago) Athletics
Fall
- Coed Cross Country
- Girls Field Hockey
- Coed Golf
- Boys Soccer
- Girls Tennis
- Girls Volleyball
Winter
- Boys Basketball
- Girls Basketball
- Coed Scholastic Bowl
Spring
- Boys Baseball
- Girls Soccer
- Girls Softball
- Boys Tennis
- Coed Track and Field
Clubs, organizations, and affinity groups
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|
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Notable alumni
- Paul Adelstein, actor
- Nate Bronstein, public Figure
- Jonathan Alter, liberal journalist, critic, author, and editor for Newsweek.[16]
- Jennifer Beals, actress (Flashdance, Devil in a Blue Dress, The L Word).[16]
- Alexandra Bruce, filmmaker and writer
- Sir Henry Channon, Member of Parliament (U.K.), diarist.[17]
- Bobby Florsheim, screenwriter
- Eric Forsberg, filmmaker
- Chuck Gelatka, football player
- Edward Gorey, writer and illustrator
- Justin Hall, pioneer blogger
- Daryl Hannah, actress (Blade Runner, Splash, Kill Bill).[16]
- Sarah Haskins, comedian
- Anne Heche, actress (Donnie Brasco, Psycho, Six Days Seven Nights).[16]
- Katharine Holabird, author
- Celeste Holm, Oscar-winning actress
- Arnold Horween, Harvard Crimson and NFL football player
- Ralph Horween, Harvard Crimson and NFL football player
- Peter Jacobson, actor
- Eric Klinenberg, sociologist and author
- Karyn Kupcinet, actress[18]
- Amy Landecker, actress
- Kate Levant, artist
- Kevin A. Lynch, urban planner
- David Mamet, playwright (Glengarry Glen Ross), author, and screenwriter (The Verdict, Wag the Dog).[16]
- Joan Mitchell, artist best known for her painting in the abstract expressionism movement.[16]
- Alicia Patterson, editor and publisher
- Elise Paschen, poet
- Edith Pattou, author
- Alan Pierson, conductor, co-founder of the Alarm Will Sound ensemble,[19] Artistic Director of the Brooklyn Philharmonic
- Mark Pincus, founder of social game company Zynga
- Ayanna Pressley, Democratic US congresswoman[20]
- Jay Pritzker, entrepreneur
- Jennifer Pritzker, founder of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library, first and only known transgender billionaire
- Jonny Radtke, guitarist (Kill Hannah, Filter (band))
- Barney Rosset, entrepreneur, publisher
- Jeremy Sisto, actor
- Brad Thor, author
- Ping Tom, civic leader
- Carleton Washburne, educator and author
- Jacob Weisberg, journalist and editor of Slate.[16]
- Joe Weisberg, creator of The Americans
- Jordan Weisman, founder of FASA Corporation & WizKids
- Haskell Wexler, cinematographer (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, for).[16]
- Hillary Wolf, actress & two-time U.S Olympian in judo
- Billy Zane, actor
- Lisa Zane, actress, vocalist
References
- A Brief History of Francis W. Parker School, Francis W. Parker School, 2010, archived from the original on September 16, 2009, retrieved April 4, 2010
- High School Code Search, College Board, retrieved April 4, 2010
- From Our Principal, Francis W. Parker School, 2010, archived from the original on March 22, 2010, retrieved April 4, 2010
- Chicago (F.W. Parker), Illinois High School Association (IHSA), April 1, 2010, retrieved April 4, 2010
- "Institution Summary for Francis W. Parker School", AdvancED profile, North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, retrieved April 4, 2010
- Tuition and Fees, Francis W. Parker School, 2015, retrieved April 2, 2015
- fwparker.org 2016–17 Tuition Schedule
- The Francis W. Parker School yearbook, Volume 1
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 15, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- Construction Complete: North Wing Renovation, Auditorium Renovation and Fourth Floor Addition Archived March 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Francis W Parker School
- Francis W. Parker School Studies in Education, "The Individual and the Curriculum", The Elementary School Journal, September 1920
- "Conferences & Affiliated Schools | Schools | IHSA".
- Athletics
- "Introducing the Newest Member of the Colonel Crew!". September 22, 2017.
- Akouris, Tina (February 10, 2009), "Francis W. Parker: A legacy of individual, team titles", Chicago Sun Times, retrieved April 4, 2010
- Carreno, Richard (2011). Lord of Hosts: The Life of Sir Henry 'Chips' Channon. Philadelphia, PA: WritersClearinghousePress. pp. 43–46. ISBN 978-1-257-02549-7.
- Felsenthal, Carol (July 11, 2007). "The Lost World of Kup". chicagomag.com. p. 6.
- March 2008 Alumni e-Newsletter Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Parker Alumni Community
- Katharine Q. Seelye, Astead W. Herndon: Ayanna Pressley Seeks Her Political Moment in a Changing Boston. In: The New York Times, 1 September 2018.