High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School (usually referred to as the Parker Charter School or simply Parker ) is a public charter school in Devens, Massachusetts that serves students in grades 7 to 12. It was established in 1995 under the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993, and currently serves 384 students from 40 surrounding towns in north central Massachusetts. As a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools, a leading organization for education reform, Parker is known for its nontraditional educational philosophy. The school takes its name from Francis Wayland Parker, a 19th-century pioneer of the progressive school movement.