Watertown board hears wide-ranging review and debate of Customized Aero Academy

The Watertown School District received an extended presentation and public discussion of the Customized Aero Academy on the high school campus Tuesday, where administrators described the program's history, enrollment and instructional model and a former teacher urged the board to review academic outcomes and past staffing trade-offs.

Principal Patty McClements and teacher Chelsea Brink outlined CAA's origins and current operations. "It did start back in July 2011," McClements told the board, describing early planning, donor support and a three-year professional development grant through TIE (now Compass). McClements said the program has grown to roughly 300 students in recent years and that staff use a mix of seminars, projects, labs and mastery-based assessments to let students progress at different paces.

The question of academic rigor and districtwide impacts drew sustained comment. A former teacher who identified himself as having worked with CAA earlier criticized early implementation and some program choices, charging that in the program's early years curriculum was limited and that staff reallocations left large classes elsewhere in the building. "The worst tragedy of CAA...is that it abandoned about 900 to 1,000 students in this building to oversized classes," the commenter said, urging the board to examine long-term academic outcomes and course availability for college-bound students.

CAA staff responded that the program has evolved. "If you came in and you observed what was actually going on, I think it would address many of the things that you mentioned," Brink said, describing daily instruction that includes whole-class teaching, 1-on-1 coaching and mastery checks. McClements added that many juniors are choosing AP/dual-credit English and that the program accommodates students with IEPs and 504 plans when appropriate.

Board members and administrators noted steps taken since earlier critiques, including efforts to balance class loads between CAA and traditional classrooms, transitions from earlier vendor software to district platforms, and collaboration between CAA teachers and content departments. Board member remarks emphasized that the program has been refined over several years and that family demand remains strong: McClements said parents had contacted the district to ask that CAA continue.

Discussion included operational details: McClements said the district's application for CAA opens in January and that the 307 students figure refers to those who completed the CAA application (not simply students taking a single CAA-taught exploratory course). Brink described the program's mastery threshold, saying students must demonstrate 80% mastery before content is considered complete.

The board did not take formal action on the program at the meeting. Several trustees asked for further data on metrics such as ACT outcomes and course-by-course comparisons; administrators said they are examining assessment data and are continuing collaboration across departments to ensure curricular alignment. The board scheduled ongoing review as part of regular oversight.

McClements closed by noting the program's evolution and local support: "We're getting a lot of bang for our buck out of our...program," one board member said, and parents and teachers who addressed the board described positive experiences and student growth.

The presentation and discussion ran roughly an hour and a half and included public and board commentary about program history, staffing and curriculum choices; the board did not vote on any policy or program changes at the session.