Faculty
Parker employed about 44 full-time equivalent teachers in the 2006–2007 school year; the average class size is 15 students and the student to teacher ratio is 8.3 to 1. Parker teachers tend to be young, and the school's relationship with the Harvard Graduate School of Education means that many young teachers start at Parker to intern and decide to stay. The teachers are also well-educated; as of 2006, about two-thirds of the school's faculty held advanced degrees, and 95.2% were designated Highly Qualified Teachers according to the No Child Left Behind Act. However, as of 2008, only 65.8% are licensed in their teaching assignment, below the state average. Teacher turnover at Parker is usually perceived as being very high. However, in fact, on average over the past 10 years, 16% of teachers (about 9 out of 56 to 60 each year) have not returned annually, which is less than the 20% national average for public schools. The average years of service for teachers at Parker is 4.5 years, with an average teaching experience of 6.9 years. Some leave to take on leadership roles in other essential schools elsewhere in the country. Though Parker spends a greater percentage of its total funds on its teachers than any school in the state, Parker teachers are paid less than teachers at other local public schools, in part due to the lack of a teachers' union. This is usually perceived as being a reason for high teacher turnover, but according to a report by former principal Teri Schrader, salary is not a significant factor in teacher turnover, with the vast majority of teacher departures being for other reasons.
Read more about this topic: Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School
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