Methods and apparatus for parallel processors are disclosed. A policy module is loaded from a main memory of a processor into the local memory of a selected secondary processing element under control of a policy module manager running on the secondary processing element. A selected one or more work queues are assigned from a main memory to a selected one or more of the secondary processing elements according to a hierarchy of precedence. A policy module for the selected one or more work queues is loaded to the selected one or more secondary processing elements. The policy module interprets the selected one or more of the selected one or more work queues. Under control of the policy module, work from one or more of the selected one or more work queues is loaded into the local memory of the selected secondary processing element. The work is performed with the selected secondary processing element. After completing the work or upon a pre-emption, control of the selected secondary processing element is returned to the policy module manager.