Dear Council Members,

As passionate parents who, like you, are driven by a love for St. Mary’s parish, we would like to take this
opportunity to thank you for the time and effort that you invest into making our parish and school all that
it is today. In that same spirit, we would also like to thank you for the open-minded approach you have
taken thus far in considering the path that we, with Fr. Stitt, have proposed for St. Mary’s School. Our
intention in this letter is to formally articulate what has driven us to work so hard in initiating the Catholic
Classical Education effort, why we believe transitioning to the Classical model of education is the best
path for our school, and ultimately why we ask for your support and help.

Aware of the likely retirement of Mrs. Meyers at end of the school year and concerned about the future of
Catholic Education in Canton, this fall our group began to have informal conversations about the
possibility of transitioning St. Mary’s School to Classical Education. In October, Fr. Stitt was introduced
to the idea by a visitor to Canton. Hearing of our interest and then faced with the unanimous decisions by
the Finance and Parish councils to recommend the closure of the school, Fr. Stitt encouraged us to make a
proposal. In the beginning it was just four of us, Seth Conklin (eight years of experience as an educator in
both Classical and Diocesan schools), Amanda Conklin (background in theology), Kelly Deschamps
(background in marketing), and Joshua Parker (local business owner). Our group has since grown to
include Dan Sweeney (Finance Council for 25 years & Education Council for 10 years), Devon Sutton
(business background, Education Council member) and Alee Parker (marketing background). Together,
meeting at the Conklin’s house after our children went to sleep on weekends & weeknights alike (often
until nearly midnight!), we began to pull information together, reach out to other schools who had
transitioned, and prepare materials for diocesan and parish leadership. What we found was quite
astonishing. Through impassioned voices, we heard the stories of Catholic schools all over the country
that had been on the brink of closure before deciding to transition to CCE and are now flourishing. What
started as a spark of hope for us has now grown to a full flame of passion.

From our countless hours studying CCE, we believe the best way to approach the difficult discussion of
why it is the best path for St. Mary’s is to explore (1) why it is desirable, (2) what it means for us, and
finally (3) why we ought embrace it. We want to preface this by recognizing thoroughly that the
conversation of such a transition would not even be possible if it weren’t for the hard work of Mrs.
Meyers and her staff. They have done an incredible job and we seek only to build upon their work.

1. Why it is desirable:

a. The Classical Education model is time tested, freeing our teachers and students to dive
deeper than the state standards. With this comes the liberty for our leadership and
teachers to adopt a classical curriculum that focuses on the development of the student -
body and soul - by immersing them in the greatest thoughts and works ever formed
throughout salvation history. From art, to literature, to poetry, to mathematics and the
sciences, and finally connecting it all through the lens of divine revelation in Scripture,
our students will be given the fullest opportunity to grow in wisdom, virtue, and
 discipleship.

b. Through a holistic and measured approach to learning, CCE connects all subjects so that
students do not learn information in silos. At the same time it markedly separates the
phases of learning to correspond with the children’s natural phases of cognitive
development. Honing the ability to remember facts and think critically about them will
assist the students throughout their entire lives. During the grammar and logic stages,
which are immediately applicable for St. Mary’s, the students focus on memorization in
their grammar phase and thinking critically about information when they are
developmentally ready for the logic stage.

c. This would give us the opportunity to build upon the authenticity already filling the halls
& classrooms of St. Mary’s School. A classical curriculum would work to complete and
enhance the joy, rigor, and emphasis on Christ already present at our school.

2. What it means for us:

a. We would be the only school within a three-hour radius that offers this unique and
rigorous curriculum. This presents us with the opportunity to effectively develop a
marketing and fundraising plan that offers something intrinsically different from the
public schools in our area. This opens up a greater ability to reach students in surrounding
areas, as well as in our own.

b. Because of our advantageous position, already having a school, our initial transition costs
are relatively low. While assessing the current budget and costs for this transition is
imperative, it is essential to note how invaluable having our building, staff, educational
experience, and, most notably, the support of our pastor is to being able to transition into
a flourishing Classical school. Additionally, our valued connection to Crane School of
Music offers us an unparalleled opportunity to distinguish the art and music programs of
St. Mary’s.

c. A diverse assessment of schools across the country, from urban to rural areas, indicates
the Classical approach fosters a growth in enrollment and aides in financial stability.
Some of the examples are in similar population areas to our own (e.g. schools in
Michigan and New Hampshire that in some cases have smaller populations than Canton).
One notable example, while recognizing its difference in population, is Sacred Heart
Academy in Grand Rapids, MI. In 2013, their diocesan school had 68 students,
comparable to St. Mary’s current enrollment, and they were on the verge of closing. Their
new pastor helped transition the school to CCE. Since transitioning, Sacred Heart has
increased enrollment at such a drastic rate that there is currently a waitlist for admission
to their academy.
 3. Why we ought embrace it:

a. The primary mission of the Church is to draw people closer to Christ and ultimately
produce saints. Based on the meetings and conversations that have taken place to date, it
seems two issues have been raised (1) the quality of CCE and (2) the financial cost of the
school. As to the first point, this is the traditional mode of education employed
throughout the Church’s history which has formed some of the greatest minds in the
history in the world--not to mention some of the greatest saints. We must also note, it is
not simply old and thus outdated. The many examples of successful CCE schools
operating today have taken the wisdom and methods of the past, while still appreciating
the current world we live in and the reality of the skills students need to lead. If additional
proof is needed, studies can be provided that find students taught in the classical method
score higher, on average, than students who are taught in other methods on standardized
tests. Regarding the second point, we, as a parish, must recognize that if there is a path to
potentially save the school, the short term financial outlook ought not stop us from trying.
In embracing the CCE model, we are investing in our youth and fulfilling the mission of
our Church. Closing SMS, on the other hand, would leave many in the area with no
option for education other than the public secular school.

b. Our current path has proven unsustainable. This does not mean that there is something
intrinsically wrong with the school; however it does mean, despite the hard work of
dedicated people, the “market” is not choosing St. Mary’s School over its secular
alternatives. We challenge diocesan, parish, and school leadership to not accept this fact
with defeat, but rather to look for a way to make our school more desirable to local
families. Based on the research we have done, we strongly suggest that transitioning to
Classical Catholic Education is the best way to do this. It would clearly and thoroughly
differentiate our approach from the public schools, allowing us to attract families who
seek the best possible education for their children, no matter their religious beliefs. We
must also mention here that continuing with the status quo another year would not help
our prospect of revitalizing our beloved school.

c. Based on the conversations we have had with other schools, we believe we can
confidently expect higher Mass attendance, greater engagement from the community, and
increased lay leadership after transition to the Classical model. Recognizing the Church’s
primary function as furthering the Kingdom of God, this is fantastic news. On a very
practical level, this means more volunteering hours, more financial support through
collections, and more unique donors. We believe it is also pertinent to recognize that
closing the school comes at the high risk of causing the inverse effect upon all the
mentioned areas of potential improvement.

With all of this said, we want to end on a very basic note: this just makes sense! We are a Catholic school
fighting to stay alive. We do not want to close the school, but need to have a sustainable path forward.
This means we need higher enrollment. Modern secular culture would tell us that there is no wisdom in
the ways of the past-- yet, scores of other schools have found success by embracing the exact opposite
notion. We recognize that the school will continue to need parish financial support if this transition were
to occur. As a group, we commit to fundraising to cover the initial costs of the transition and to work
tirelessly toward lowering the school’s financial burden on the parish through donor growth and meeting
enrollment growth goals.

So, Council Members, with full hearts and a love of Christ, we invite you to join us. For the sake of our
children, our parish, our community, and the whole of God’s Kingdom.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this important matter.

Sincerely,

Seth Conklin
Amanda Conklin
Kelly Deschamps
Joshua Parker
Alee Parker
Devon Sutton

p.s. For those searching for a summary:

The fundamental difference between CCE and the modern education model can be
summed up by this question: what is the end goal of education? Under the modern
paradigm, the clear answer is career-readiness. Modern education works toward the end
of preparing our children to have the technical skills to get a job, make money, and be of
utility to society. Conversely, CCE works to teach our children how to think, not just
what to think, with this goal: happiness in this life and in the next. The CCE model
assumes (with centuries of proof) that once the human person has been properly formed,
he/she can learn the necessary technical skills to get a job, make money, and be of utility
to society; however this is not the end. This is achieved primarily through studying the
great works, correlating teaching with the students’ natural developmental readiness, and
connecting the different subjects toward one cohesive lesson.