Douglas Parker

Douglas Parker, M.S., M.S.Ed. has worn several hats in his twenty-six years as a teacher, coach, development director, educational administrator and mentor to thousands of boys and girls over the many years. He holds dual Master’s degrees in counseling and educational administration and has taught English on the 6th, 7th, and 10th grade levels along with AP Literature. He has been a principal of an elementary, middle and high school, has directed several summer camps, has led numerous annual fund and capital drives and raised significant sums of money for non-profit educational purposes, has been a curriculum coordinator, and has been a director of technology and athletics along with holding certifications as a School Administrator and Supervisor (SAS), School District Administrator (SDA), and in 7-12 English in both New York and Florida. During this time, Mr. Parker has worked with hundreds of bright and gifted children as a mock trial, Model UN, Odyssey of the Mind, and television academic quiz bowl coach, along with directing numerous theatrical productions. He also coached college and high school Debate and Speech, where his team was four times the American National Champions representing America at Finals in London, England, at the English Speaking Union where he coached the American Team.

Mr. Parker is a member of the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), the Florida Association for the Gifted (FLAG), and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) among others. Also, as a member of American Mensa, Mr. Parker has access to some of the leading brain-based research on gifted and talented education from around the world.

He has also been a member of the New York State Middle School Association, the New York State Department of Education School Quality Review Team, and was an associate of New York State’s Curriculum Framework Design Team where he helped draft New York’s Language Arts Standards.

Mr. Parker has authored two communication textbooks used in high schools, along with a professional text used in teacher training classes at the college level all around the world. His work has been featured in the Buffalo News, Florida Today, the Albany Times–Union, The Washington Post, the New York State English Council Journal, Hometown News, and Family PC Magazine. Recently, Mr. Parker finished his first novel, Pulp Science Fiction, which has received praise from critics, teachers and students from around the world! Currently, Mr. Parker has founded an organization, Bright Pennies, to support bright or gifted and talented children and their families and teachers.

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