As I sat down in Dr. Frank’s office to conduct an interview, I couldn’t help but notice the various items that decorated his walls and shelves. Photos of him, both working at Parker and attending Parker adorned a table. Handwritten notes, some clearly from young children, expressed their appreciation and gratitude for his work. Yearbooks going back years and years, all a deep Parker blue, caught my eye. I looked around and I did not see an office. I saw an illustration of years worth of dedication and passion for our model home.
Fifty years ago, Dr. Frank graduated from Parker. During his time as a student, he, like many other students, engaged in incredible coursework, including compelling classes in world religions, primary source research at Chicago’s own Newberry Library, and building rocking chairs in woodshop. He was also Editor-in-Chief of the Weekly his junior year, and played multiple sports. “I was also a runner, and with one of the teachers at the school, we trained and ran a marathon together when I was a high school junior,” Frank said.
Like our world, Parker is ever changing and adapting. Of course, the building underwent numerous changes as time went on. “The overall organization and growth of the school has changed in the past fifty years,” Frank said. “Even things as small as the fact that there was no air conditioning, and it was a much smaller building.” As time goes on and people evolve, so do teaching methods. Upon being asked his opinion of the changes in teaching, Frank said, “I’d say it’s better. I think the teachers are far more aware of themes about child and adolescent development and more knowledgeable about different teaching methods. Because people learn in different ways, you have to learn how to teach in different ways. I also think the world is in a different place.” Parker has evolved into a better organized school with a better sense of what strategic plans need to be put in place, and how to keep student experience, growth, and welfare at the center of those plans. Though Parker has changed in so many ways, “it’s amazing, the spirit of the place is the same. That’s brought me so much joy all these years,” Frank said.
Dr. Frank began teaching at Parker a couple years out of college, and at first, found the experience a bit daunting. “I said okay, this is like stepping into the ‘adult world.’ I was given a lot of responsibility.” Frank said. Thankfully, Frank quickly founded strong professional relationships with his colleagues and even met his best friend, who still works in education, just now at another institution. “I realized I had become more on the teachers’ side than the students’ side, but a good teacher is always learning with students,” Frank said.
When considering Parker’s future, Dr. Frank wants “more Parker for more Chicago students,” a statement very fitting of Parker’s ethos. This expansive idea was recently shared with the Parker community via a video that explained Parker’s plans to not only expand campus-wise, but take in more students. Though some may worry this will hinder the benefit of small class sizes, “what will allow this vision to build on the best of the past is to make sure that the student teacher ratio, that the number of students in each individual classroom, remains small, so that students can feel known and understood and appreciated by their teachers and classmates,” Frank said. “That’s where that’s where the Parker magic happens.”
