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You Power Teachers.

Day of Giving Supporting Excellence in Teaching Logo

December 2, 2025

1 Day.

1,000 Family Donors.

$1 million for Teachers.

Day of Giving is a school-wide, one-day campaign to reward, retain, and recruit the people who create the Parker experience: our teachers.

In the last decade, your donations to the Day of Giving have allowed Parker to invest an additional $6 million in the areas that enhance the experience for our teachers: faculty professional development and salaries.

Make A Gift now through December 2

Day of Giving 2025 Co-Chairs

Nicole Baham-Gunn  •  Ioana Brooks  •  Birtan Cetinoz  •  Rachel Chryssostomides  •  Christina and St. Elmo Crawford  •  Jennifer Cumming  •  Erica Murphy  •  Sean Palacios  •  Voltaire Sterling

Your
Participation Matters.

when we reach 1,000 family donors, a $250,000 Participation Challenge gift will be released.

Give Now to help unlock the challenge

Participation Challenge Donors

as of October 31, 2025

$25,000

Bhumika Chhabra and Saurav Gorai
Sean Joseph and Mahau Ma
Jana Messerschmidt and David Richter

$15,000

Lisa and George Alexander
Graeme Gabriel and Simone Kanter
Robert Landis ’01 and Christine Hunt Landis ’99
Benjamin and Kimberly Lee
Kalpana Singh Rhodes ’90 and Jamie Rhodes
Two Generous Parker Families

$10,000

The Bjorg Family
Michael and Lauren Buscemi
Christina and St. Elmo Crawford
Charles and Sophia Morris
Dawn and Chris O'Brien
Michael Scully and Shonnie Forstrom
Two Generous Parker Families

$70,000 Grandparent Match Led By

Lynne McGuire and Andris Baltins
The Fishman Family
Kristin and Gary Gist
John and Carol Landis
Chaling and Kuanpin Lin
Ili Nagy and Eric Lindgren
Lori Moore
Shari and Ralf Nielson
Richard and Jennifer Schifter
Susan and Alfred Smith
Ned and Carol Spieker

Faculty Retention and Recruitment

Competitive salaries and generous cost-of-living increases

Faculty salaries were raised by 20% in 2024!

100% employer-paid healthcare coverage

Generous retirement matching

Stipends for leading a team/club

or supervising students outside of the academic day

Free Extended Day programming for students of faculty

Travel expenses for nationwide candidate recruiting

Investments in Excellence in Teaching

In-House professional coaching

through Parker's newly established Paul Esch Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Training from nationally-recognized subject area experts

Visits to peer schools to observe best-in-class teaching methods

Additional paid time for collaboration and curriculum innovation

Grants for graduate study and professional certifications

Merit-based "Excellence in Teaching" monetary awards

Your Gift
Supports:

Day of Giving directly supports Parker's ability to retain and recruit exceptional faculty by funding investments in excellence in teaching and faculty retention/recruitment.

Support Your Child's Teachers by making a gift in their honor

Funding Excellence in Teaching

Photo of Joseph Kurz
Ms. Maggie Miller

Ms. Maggie Miller

Middle/Upper School Math Faculty

Day of Giving dollars paid for Maggie to develop and align the new Grade 6 math curriculum, helping students to build the skills and confidence needed for more rigorous courses.

This curriculum gives students room to explore, practice, and apply their skills to real-life problem solving. That strong foundation in algebra opens doors to every Upper School math course.

Dr. Rai Wilson
Dr. Rai Wilson

Dr. Rai Wilson

Upper School Social Studies Faculty

Day of Giving dollars funded a grant for Rai to design a Civil Rights history trip to Alabama and Mississippi, creating a learning experience rooted in place and perspective.

We can reach people's minds, but being there—smelling a place, feeling a place—can reach their emotions too. Those are the experiences and learnings that stay with them.

Photo of Joseph Kurz
Ms. Lauren St. John Lopez

Ms. Lauren St. John Lopez

Lower School Science Faculty

Day of Giving dollars paid for Lauren to integrate new interactive flat-panel technology, creating more connected, collaborative classroom experiences.

Using the interactive panel helps my students collaborate because they can seamlessly build on each other’s ideas.

Photo of Joseph Kurz
Ms. Zuri Walker

Ms. Zuri Walker

PE/Athletics Faculty

Day of Giving dollars subsidized Zuri's Master's Degree in Kinesiology, which led her to revamp the Life Skills curriculum.

The new course guides students to take ownership of their behavior, figure out what works best for their specific environment, and have the tools to make wellness a focus throughout their lives.

Photo of Joseph Kurz
Mr. Joseph Kurz

Mr. Joseph Kurz

Upper School Social Studies Teacher

Day of Giving dollars paid for Joseph to attend a working retreat to learn Harkness teaching method at the Exeter Humanities Institute.

The method emphasizes students listening to each other as much as speaking their own thoughts, which helps them gain confidence, a sense of agency, and empathy for their fellow citizens.

Photo of Joseph Kurz
Ms. Erika Assadi

Ms. Erika Assadi

Head of Teaching and Learning

Day of Giving dollars allowed Erika to participate in the NAIS Fellowship for Aspiring School Heads, which allows her to better support every Parker teacher as they grow professionally.

I’ve built deep relationships with experienced leaders at independent schools, which has helped me define and grow my leadership style and skills and implement them in my new role.

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Make a Donation Today.