Allan Appel Photo
Parent Suzan Ali and daughter Khloe receive the news.
Dessara Bryant came to a parents meeting at St. Aedan-St. Brendan School to learn how a new STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts & Math) teaching framework will affect her kids’ learning.
She left with a more existential concern: whether the school she loves will survive.
That arc of anxiety was experienced by many of the 50 or so parents who gathered along with kids in tow for an open house Tuesday in the gymasium of the venerable Catholic school on McKinley Avenue in Westville.
The school’s new principal, Taryn Duncan, and officials from the education offices of the Archdiocese of Hartford were on hand to explain to current parents how the school is intending to introduce a National Catholic Educational Association approved STREAM curriculum into the school beginning in September.
STREAM — a variation of the secular “STEAM” concept with the “R” added for “religion” — emphasizes projects, student participation and science-style experimentation instead of traditional right-and-wrong answer learning. It will be incorporated into the school’s curriculum beginning in September.
“All change is difficult,” said Sherri Criscuolo, a 20-year veteran teacher at the school, which like other parochial institutions has seen its enrollment decline.
That became evident almost immediately after Valerie Mara, the chief academic officer of the archdiocese, pitched the new approach as a way to better prepare kids for the STEM jobs of the future.
Johnson: Show us the data.
“Are we preparing our children for jobs or for college?” asked parent Suzan Ali, who was there with her daughter Khloe.
“No, this is college prep. By no means does it lower expectations. It increases rigor,” Mara replied.
She explained that the new STREAM academy approach is also being adopted by Catholic schools in Branford. It has been functioning already for two years in Waterbury/ Parent and Yale psychiatry researcher Olivia Johnson queried, “Do we have data from where it’s already been implemented?”
“I don’t have the data from Waterbury,” responded Mara. “It’s only their second year. But the rigor that typifies us doesn’t change. What changes is the involvement of students [in their learning].”
“I’m not questioning the very good experience there,” said Johnson, “but I want to know some data from Waterbury.”
“The enrollment in Waterbury has increased exponentially because students want to come more; there’s been a reduction in absenteeism. There’s been not one parent complaint because of the levels of engagement. We can bring in the principal” to New Haven, she offered.
Another parent called out that she’s like to hear from Waterbury parents.
Mara replied she certainly could provide parent testimonials, but couldn’t guarantee bringing parents in.
That turn in the Q & A let the cat of high anxiety out of the bag. Teachers, as part of the preparation for the new curriculum, are going to require considerable new training. Parents expressed deep concern about whether the teachers they know and love will continue on.
The principal said the hope is that all teachers will stay and receive the new professional training in STREAM, but it is of course up to them.
Parents Bryant,, Anita Battle, and Mikyle Vaugn at meeting.
The school has seen some recent teacher departures already. Duncan, formerly the principal at St. Francis-St. Rose of Lima School, has only been on the job a month.
Bryant posed the question that had always been the elephant in the room: “When’s our school closing?”
Much as she loves the school and appreciates the close relationship teachers have in St. Aedan-St. Brendan’s smaller classes, parent Mikyle Vaughn said she withdrew her kids last year and enrolled them in Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet because she felt that St. Aedan’s might be closing due to declining enrollment.
Apart from inherent educational merits, clearly the new curriculum is designed to attract new families to the school and to raise flagging enrollment.
If STREAMing doesn’t work, will the school close, or, as has been the case with other parochial schools (such as the former standalone St. Brendan) merge with another struggling institution.
Deputy Superintendant Maria Maynard assured parents that “there is no plan to close” St. Aedan-St. Brendan.
“You have no debt,” she said to Bryant and the other parents. She added that with the new STREAM, despite new expenses for teacher training and new equipment, tuition will not rise. “This is the facility that can best handle this model.”
She did acknowledge that enrollment is not what it should be. The K to 8 school currently has 92 students, along with a pre‑K of 70 kids. Maynard said that with the introduction of STREAM, the hope is enrollment will gradually increase to about 120 kids in the K to 8.
Mara and Duncan field questions.
“There’s parent support here,” Maynard added, as she fielded more questions. “Yes, we’re looking for growth. We have … 95 students [in K‑8]. Do we wait to go from 95 students to 90? Your enthusiasm [for STREAM] is contagious.”
When parents pressed Duncan and Maynard, the two said St. Aedan-St. Brendan is the strongest of New Haven’s three Catholic schools. The others are St. Bernadette in Morris Cove and St. Francis-St. Rose of Lima in Fair Havent. Duncan said the St. Aedan school builidng, while requiring more upgrades — is in the best shape for the tech demands of the future.
She announced she had already secured a grant to introduce robotics next year.
Parents remained concerned.
“You’re feeling all of our anxiety,” said Natisha Vidal.
Another parent, a dad, added; “Thisisn’t negative. We’re all very happy. But there have been a lot of changes. We put our kids in your hands. This is all so new to us as parents.”
Vidal said more parent communication, before this introductory meeting, would have been wiser.
Rafala suggested at the next get-together an actual lesson might be presented: “Show how, for example, a fourth-grade lesson might be presented this year and what it might look like next.”
“We can absolutely provide that,” said Mara.
Principal Duncan said all the other points had been duly noted and said more parent events about the changeover are in the offing.
“Change is difficult,” the veteran teacher Sherri Criscuolo reiterated. “But change has to happen in order to grow. We’re excited, and the kids pick up on it.”
People also picked up on the chocolate chip and macadamia nut cookies that were rapidly disappearing from tables in back of the gym, as the two-plus-hour meeting wound to a close.