Alumni Educators Reflect on Changes in High Schools

Ann Maas is a 1977 graduate of Catholic Memorial High School in Waukesha, where she now teaches math. (Submitted photo)

Ann Maas graduated from Catholic Memorial High School in Waukesha in 1977.

Now, 47 years later, she has spent her entire career as a math teacher at her alma mater. While a lot has changed in the last almost five decades, much has remained the same in Catholic high schools.

“While life as a student was challenging when I went to school, I feel like it’s more challenging now for students, as they are so busy with sports, clubs and work. We didn’t have as many sports or clubs back then,” she said.

Class sizes were comparable, but Maas recalls having priests, nuns and laity for her teachers. It was her freshman algebra teacher and her senior math teacher, Sr. Judith Bower, who helped fuel her love for math and inspired her to become a math teacher.

“I was brought back to CMH by Sr. Judith when she asked me to do an ‘internship’ (instead of student teaching) to cover for a teacher taking maternity leave,” she said. “I also believe that this is where God meant for me to be all those years ago, to give back for the excellent education that I received.”

As a math teacher, Maas has witnessed how technology makes life easier for students than in the 1970s.

“Graphics calculators, especially,” she said. “I also believe that students these days are pulled by social media away from focusing on learning at times. There also seems to be a lot of stressors in their lives.”

Jeffrey Krieg is a 1981 graduate of St. Lawrence Seminary High School in Mount Calvary and currently teaches U.S. and world history to freshmen and juniors. He recalled a mix of “old school” methods blended with individualized learning and “new” math.

“I think there still is a mix of traditional methods and today’s ideas, but now there is the addition of technology and many more distractions than there was back then,” he said. “The presence of technology makes life easier and more difficult. Technology brings information to your fingertips. There is an unending flow of photos, articles and other information available. Yet this is also a difficulty in that it can easily become a distraction. It is sometimes a challenge to separate what is fact from opinion and what might be a threat to faith and values.”

While learning wasn’t the easiest for Krieg, he always enjoyed it. Exceptional teaching staff throughout his life served as examples and role models, propelling him into the educational field. He happily returned to teach at SLS.

“I believe in the mission of SLS and what it has to offer to young men in the modern world: a Catholic-centered community that fosters vocational discernment, fraternity, academic excellence and seeks to serve others in the Franciscan tradition,” he said.

While there was some technology present when Richard Hagopian graduated in 1998 from St. Catherine’s High School in Racine, there wasn’t the inundation there is today with social media.

“We certainly had pressures and stigmas from going to an expensive school, such as status things, what kind of car we had, or clothes we wore, but today kids have those challenges and more,” he said. “It is worse due to social media and the images portrayed to kids to do this or do that. Some things are easier, and some things are harder.”

St. Catherine’s had a campaign to prevent bullying and encouraged students to report it, but now, so much is done behind a phone or computer, Hagopian said.

“I don’t see it outwardly, but that is not to say there isn’t trash talk behind a screen,” he said.

Small class sizes are one of the hallmarks of Catholic education, and St. Catherine’s prides itself on low teacher-to-student ratios.

“One time, they had 1,500 kids enrolled here in the 1960s and they had to have shifts to attend school,” said Hagopian. “Now, some of my classes have 14 kids in the classroom.”

Hagopian enjoyed high school so much he didn’t want to leave; in fact, he had the most pictures in the yearbook of any student that year.

“I had planned to go into construction, but the guidance counselors encouraged me to go into teaching,” he said. “I went away to college and came right back after graduation to teach here. Here at St. Cat’s, it is common for alumni to come back and teach. When I started here, half the staff were alumni. Now, there might be three or four left. I am happy to give back and continue the rich tradition of St. Cat’s — something special happened that makes me want to be here.”

Rosa Tadeo graduated from St. Mary High School in Burlington (now Catholic Central High School) in 1974 with a class of 50 students. She serves as the school’s office manager. Tadeo has fond memories of attending school functions, having fun with friends and keeping up with what was going on in the world.

“We did projects for the first Earth Day, tried to plan a walkout against the Vietnam War, hosted a regional rock band on campus, and loved participating in our ‘guitar’ Masses and liturgies very much geared to young people,” she said. “There didn’t seem to be the same pressure on students to get ahead. School was serious business, but our goals were more community oriented. Girls still either planned to become secretaries, nurses or teachers, while most of the guys went to college for business to take over family ones.”

Notre Dame sisters, School Sisters of St. Francis, diocesan priests and Franciscan friars taught students, Tadeo recalled.

“We also had male and female lay teachers. Our principal was a sister, and our vice-principal was one of our parish priests, who also served as school counselor,” she said. “When I was a student, my ‘office practice’ class consisted of learning shorthand and the electric typewriter versus manual and running the spirit duplicator, plus bookkeeping. I moved directly into the office job I held while in school after I graduated. Now, we have students using iPads for class (and) taking college classes, and our graduates are studying aerospace, science and nuclear medicine, or going into business. Some things stay the same, but a lot has changed.”