Francis Parker School

Parker is a gem, offering the best of all worlds in a private education. The arts, athletics and enveloping academics offer every student a chance to grow. Our kids are different from each other, yet all love Parker. More importantly, they are being challenged and rewarded every day with an enriching, world-class education.
—Submitted by a parent

My experience at Parker has been absolutely phenomenal. There are so many opportunities to get involved with the community, take a wide variety of academic coursework, participate in athletics (both competitively and recreationally), and to join one of the many clubs and extracurricular activities available at Parker. To address the comments on grade inflation and getting into top tier schools: I know personally people who are going to Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Duke, Yale, Columbia, Cal Tech, Johns Hopkins, Rice and the list goes on. I feel that even though the students tend to be wealthy and some are very wealthy, your family's socio-economic group does not factor in at all to how the Parker students will accept you. I chose Parker over LJCD and Bishops because I felt that to be much more prevalent there. Also one thing that I really like is that there are not really cliques, and there is certainly not a "popular group." Everyone hangs out with everyone and no one really judges. The food at Parker is also really good; everything is made in out cafeteria and the ingredients are from local farmers. This stimulates the local economy and gets us fresh, great tasting food.

Probably worst school ever. The leadership was lost after Mrs. Ostos left. Now it's Mr. Lang who is a terrible dean, followed by Mrs. McKenna. None of the teachers are even good and they pressure too much and treat people differently according to how much money they donate, and their race, it very ridiculous. Mr Lang is the worst though, worst thing that has ever happened to this school PERIOD.
—Submitted by a teacher

We started at Parker this year and it has exceeded all of our expectations. The quality of teaching is excellent and communication from the teacher is more than we could have hoped for. The school definitely has a community feel and it has been a pleasure getting to know other parents and school officials. I really appreciate the holistic approach to education and nurturing of the person, not just focusing on the academic task or memorization. I am looking forward to many years at the Parker community and feel that my money will be well spent.
—Submitted by a parent

Way over-rated. More emphasis on sports than academics and some of the teachers are just awful. A real sense of entitlement on the part of many kids also spoils the atmosphere.

It s totally true as one of the parent said below. Parker s Weighted GPA average is 4.2 but this parent forgot to mansion that Unweighted GPA average is 3.7 which is a complete deal breaker if you want your child go to Top University like Stanford, Cornel, Brown, Duke, Carnegie, University of Pennsylvania or Columbia. If you look at their Graduates acceptances you would barely see any top schools. My other kid is going to Torrey Pines and believes me; their kids get accepted into MIT, CIT, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale every single year not saying about colleges that I mentioned earlier. If not a great athletic team that praise my daughter and promote her advancement I would pull her out of this school.
—Submitted by a parent

To the poster dated March 31, 2011, this review is for people seeking opinions about schools. It is not intended for you to bash my opinion based on our experience at this school. I am highly offended by your accusation that my child has special needs. It simply is not true. In fact the school invited us back and we declined. About the playground, several children have broken bones (including my child) on that wonderful play ground. This was not a knee jerk reaction, I was in daily and weekly discussions with the administrators and teacher trying to figure this out. I have two successful adult children and have been a parent for 25 years. We were very disappointed in the lack of response and help to figure this out. We had no choice but to remove him and instantly he was thriving in a different environment. You keep living in your dream world of "FP," while my now happy and thriving child has and will succeed.
—Submitted by a parent

Parker is GREAT! I'm a student there I've been there for a year and I'm going back next year instead of this year because of tuition, but Parker is the most amazing school I have ever been to! They have a great curriculum, a BEAUTIFUL campus (I've never seen one like it before), fantastic courses, and great people! The teachers are great, the rest of the staff is great, the students are great, everyone is just amazing. I was new last year and I already feel like the people there are my family. Problems are quickly taken care of and it's just an all-around INCREDIBLE school! These things that I have mentioned are only a few of the great parts of Francis Parker. I'm highly looking forward to returning! GO PARKER!

this school is really great, at first i didn't know if it was a good school to go to but the schools education is great. their average gpa is a 4.2
—Submitted by a parent

My son entered Parker this year. At first, I was very hesitant about this move but after observing and interacting with the faculty and students for the past several months I have come to the conclusion this is the best investment my wife and I have ever made. The teachers do demand a lot from the students and they definitely expect the parents to participate. But the teachers and faculty go beyond the call of duty and I have never seen such sincere dedication for the betterment of students on an individual basis. My son is in SK (senior kindergarten) and is taking Spanish & Chinese. His class has only 20 students and his teacher has a teachers aid and parent volunteers on a daily basis. My son has excelled at Parker and I look forward to him attending the school until he graduates from their High School. A Very Happy Parent
—Submitted by a parent

Last year, in the 7th grade, I went to Francis Parker and didn't have a good experience. The teachers, at least in the middle school don't make themselves clear and expect you to do a ridiculous amount of work but are devoted to teaching well. Most kids are in groups or 'clicks' and seem to think that they're better than everyone else and don't seem to have that much respect for eachother but a few are nice and stick up for eachother. Yeah I mean, alot of them are in what I call ' Parker world'. I saw a lot of fights and racist comments made. Alot of kids there have a preppy attitude and like others have said, money and stuff is a big factor sometimes. If you ask me, at least socially, I think that Parker is no better than public school. That's why I left. Just my experience.
—Submitted by a student

It's unfortunate to hear that the student below had such a terrible experience. The high school experience at Francis Parker is directly related to what the student puts into it. Teachers are more then willing to help tutor during their lunch, before school, and for many hours after school. The dedication of the teachers is incredible. For the first half of the school year, one AP English teacher provides two hours every Sunday to help nervous college-bound seniors write application essays in her classroom. For students who just aren't understanding the material, the school has it's own 'learning center' where there is a full time staff of tutors with teaching degrees and even doctorates. Francis Parker maintains its reputation as one of the top college preparatory schools on the West Coast and it certainly deserves that title. I plan to someday send my children to Francis Parker.
—Submitted by a student

Francis Parker isn't what everyone thinks it is. To have friends and make it through it all depends on how much stuff you have and your money. The teachers aren't that great except for a few. I wouldn't recommend this school.
—Submitted by a student

It has everything a kid could want besides good meals. The Lower School campus has arts: Violin, band, and chorus. As well as woodshop (4th & 5th grade) and art. The Middle School is where it really gets tough. It's the #1 middle school in San Diego. In some classes we even have 11th grade text books and I'm in 8th grade. The best part is that you have to go outside to get to each class. The teachers are experienced but young. It has arts like woodshop, art, ceramics (pottery), and an excellent music program which includes violin, guitar, band, and chorus. Dress code is STRICTLY enforced. The High School campus is brand new and beautiful! Two stories high with mostly glass walls. It has all the same arts as the middle school and also has a pep band (guitar, bass, drums, etc) that plays at all the sports games.
—Submitted by a student

Francis Parker provides a superior academic and athletic experience for students who attend there. Every year I go to back to school night, I am re-committed to keeping my son there until he graduates.
—Submitted by a parent

As a student who once went to Parker I know that the academic program is great, the teachers are okay, but other than that Parker isn't that great of a school. There is a lot of competition and comparison between students. What you wear, and how much money you have basically makes you or breaks you. Teachers work you hard but are nice. . .
—Submitted by a former student

This is a special school from admission process thru graduation. Wonderful mixture of children with different talents. Our child thrived and blossomed in the superior academic and athletic forum.
—Submitted by a parent

Good solid school, but the cost is prohibitive. The tuition outprices a lot of great kids, and the level of financial assistance just isn't high enough to help families with more than one enrolled child. We're leaving the school for this reason, and it's a shame.
—Submitted by a parent

Franscis parker is a great school
—Submitted by a parent

The academic programs are unmatched in San Diego. Music is a part of the curriculum from Junior Kindergarten on, with a dedicated music, technology, art, woodshop, two PE, two science and many more teachers. Small class size, heavy emphasis on ethical behavior, family life, and friendship. It is the best school we have found in three cities.
—Submitted by James & Kalpana Rhodes, a parent