Thomas Parker

Thomas Parker joined the Mott Foundation to help guide grantmaking and partnerships aimed at strengthening the education continuum in Flint. He previously served as superintendent of the Allentown School District in Pennsylvania from 2017 to 2021. There he helped develop a strategic framework that is still driving a collective vision of success for the district.

From 2013 to 2017, he served as superintendent of Ecorse Public Schools near Detroit, where he led an academic and fiscal turnaround for the district, increasing student enrollment and achievement while eliminating the district’s budget deficit. He began his career as a teacher in Detroit Public Schools and served as a turnaround principal in the Detroit and Harper Woods school districts.

Parker is a Head Start alum and proud native of Tillatoba, Mississippi. He holds an education specialist degree in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University; a master’s degree in education foundation and policy from the University of Michigan; and a bachelor’s degree in history and secondary education from Howard University.