Setting the
Stage for a
Boundless
Future
Setting the
Stage for a
Boundless
Future
We are an independent school for children of all genders from toddlers to pre-school through 8th grade, 10 minutes from downtown Albany. Parker students cultivate critical thinking and purposeful action through a challenging learning process.
A Progressive School
Parker practices a progressive model of education. We begin with the student's own experiences and use active learning to promote deep thinking. We encourage independent thought and emphasize critical thinking and problem-solving.
Building Confidence, Purpose, and Curiosity
Parker engages each student in a thoughtful and challenging learning process that inspires curiosity and a passion to achieve, nurtures confidence and community, and cultivates purposeful action.
Explore Our Programs
Explore Our Programs
Why Parker
Love of Learning
Children are intrinsically eager to understand the world. Our progressive program takes advantage of these inquisitive years through project-based learning geared to each child’s individual level of development.
Innovative Education
Progressive education is laser focused on engaging each student. Teachers are given agency to use their expertise to create new experiences untethered by traditional curricula and state testing.
Also, students in grades K-8 are taught science by a specialist science teacher. The 3,200-square-foot Parker Discovery Center contains a state of the art science lab with direct access to the outdoors.
Student Leadership
As students mature we cultivate responsibility and leadership opportunities for them by connecting students across grade levels. For example, an eighth grader teaches lower school students about water quality during the annual Day in the Life of the Hudson trip.
Expansive Campus
Parker students explore an expansive 77-acres that includes forest trails, a tree-house classroom, butterfly garden, pond and meadows. Students are outdoors in all seasons and the campus is often the inspiration for learning such as gardening and composting, wildlife study, and engineering projects.
Graduate Success
Parker graduates are confident in their independent thought and voice and are passionate about learning. They are committed to academic and intellectual integrity and demonstrate a commitment to social responsibility with respect, kindness, understanding, and engagement in a diverse world.
What People Say About Parker
“Parker is truly a special place. The expansive outdoor spaces for kids to play, the pond, stream, and acres of forests are magical. But what is truly outstanding is the learning going on inside the school.”
By the Numbers
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Year Parker School was founded0
Acreage of Parker School Campus0:1
Student:Teacher Ratio at Parker School$0
Diversity Scholarships and Financial AidNews & Events
You’ve Got a Friend in Me
Students who feel connected to school are more likely to succeed. They are motivated to show up, invested in their work, and care about their final outcomes. School connectedness – the belief held by students that the adults and peers in their school care about their learning and about them individuals – is associated with…
It Starts at Chingachgook
Nurturing a cohesive community is so integral to the culture here at Parker that it is written right into our MISSION. As such, the beginning of our school year is full of intentional events designed to strengthen our school community. Camp Chingachgook has a longstanding history at Parker of providing this foundational experience for our middle…
Many Happy Returns…
The first week at Parker has flown by in a flurry of joyful reunions, warm new welcomes, and plenty of thoughtful foundation building for the year to come. Typically, our first week at Parker is spent building relationships and helping children to establish their identities, both individually and as a community. Parker students are engaged,…
