When in 2013, a new high school program for students with learning differences, first opened its doors on Wolcott Avenue in West Town, students from grades 9-12 left Parker to attend the new school. Following the surge of students, Parker teachers are now following suit.

Years before the founding of Wolcott, Mollie Aeder, then the 15 year old daughter of Jeff Aeder and Jennifer Levine, attended a boarding school in Michigan for kids who learn differently because there was no option here in Chicago. Frustrated, Aeder and Levine decided to start the process that would eventually lead to the creation of Wolcott.  

Three former Parker teachers — assistant teacher for the Integrated Learning and Information Science department and middle school soccer and basketball coach Ryan Hurnevich, upper school math teacher Emily Powers, and 8th grade Learning Resources teacher Maggie Porter — joined the Wolcott faculty this fall.   

“When I heard that Ms. Porter was leaving, that one caught me by surprise,” eighth grade English teacher David Fuder, a friend of Hurnevich and Porter, said. “I knew Mr. Hurnevich had been trying to find a full time teaching position, and it wasn’t working out here, so when that was one of the places that he was applying outside of school I was happy when he was hired because he needs to be in the classroom teaching full time.”

Hurnevich kept busy at Parker since he began in 2012 during his time at Parker. “He did a lot,” Fuder said. “He started as a substitute teacher in the high school, and then he was sixth grade assistant teacher, and then he became the 8th grade assistant teacher, and he also filled in during Ms. Lorenzo’s maternity leave, so he was actually full-time teaching 8th grade history for a while, and alongside of that he was coaching sometimes three sports a year, so he was doing a lot. I know he’s been doing a lot of tutoring on the side as well with Parker students and then last year he was the Lower and Intermediate School Technology Coordinator, so he’s done a lot of things in his time here, and he’s gone on class trips and done almost everything that a full time teacher would do.”

Powers left for Wolcott after eight years of calling Parker her second home. At Wolcott eight out of 34 academic faculty members have a B.A in teaching and an M.A in general or special education. Hurnevich has now become an English and Social Studies teacher, while Porter and Powers remain in the positions they held at Parker. When asked to be interviewed, they declined.

The Parker Learning Resources statement states,“Parker’s Learning Resources Department supports JK–12 students with learning differences throughout the school. We encourage students to become active, independent learners by helping them understand and communicate their learning styles, as well as by teaching them strategies that will work best for them. In these ways, we strive to help students become effective self-advocates.”  

Wolcott’s mission statement is similar. “Wolcott School offers an exemplary high school program for students with learning differences, tailored to the strengths and aspirations of each student. Employing best practices, our expert faculty is dedicated to helping students gain self-awareness, confidence, and resilience as well as the academic, social, and communication skills to flourish in college and beyond.”

Aeder and Levine family built The Wolcott School to accommodate kids with learning disabilities, a group that Parker also supports. Both statements highlight how each school is similarly working towards providing each individual a unique education depending on his or her specific needs.

Upper school learning resources Julie Holman believes that teaching at The Wolcott School is an exciting endeavor for teachers. Holman believes that Parker teachers respect the teaching style at Wolcott to reach different types of learners.

“People need certain changes in their career,” Holman said, “and it was an opportunity that came forward for them and they needed a change. I don’t think it says anything about the education at Parker.”