Parker is a progressive public secondary school where students learn to use their minds well. School climate is built on trust, decency, and democracy. The mission of The Sizer Foundation, Inc is to raise funds for the Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School and the Theodore R. Sizer Teachers Center.The Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School's mission is "to move the child to the center of the education process and to interrelate the several subjects of the curriculum in such a way as to enhance their meaning for the child" (Charter, October 1994). As a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools, the Parker School will realize this mission through educational practice guided by the Ten Common Principles of Essential Schools.