Francis Wayland Parker

Francis Wayland Parker was a pioneer of the progressive school movement in the United States, who lived from October 9, 1837 to March 2, 1902. He believed that education should include the complete development of an individual, mental, physical and moral, and John Dewey called him the father of progressive education. He worked to create a curriculum that centered on the whole child and a strong language background. He was against standardization, isolated drill and rote learning, and he helped to show that education was not just about cramming information into students' minds, but about teaching students to think for themselves and become independent people.