Turning Chaos into Community at New Britain High School
In this issue, we dive into Episode 3 of The Efficacious Educator Podcast, featuring three dynamic educators from New Britain High School who have been instrumental in transforming the school climate and culture.
Chris Conant is a Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher who transitioned from teaching science to leading students into career pathways in construction, skilled trades, architecture, and manufacturing. He has been at New Britain High since 2016 and is passionate about connecting students with real-world opportunities.
Meg Shea has been an associate principal at New Britain High School since 2017, with a career in education that began in 1992 as a middle school art teacher. She has played a key role in shaping school climate initiatives that promote engagement, relationships, and belonging.
Jim Brasile, a New Britain High alum, has been an associate principal since 2017 after more than a decade of teaching English. With a keen eye for school systems and logistics, Jim has led structural changes that improved school-wide operations, including scheduling and attendance protocols.
New Britain High School serves over 2,500 students in grades 9–12, making it one of the largest and most diverse schools in Connecticut.
65% of students identify as Latino, 16% as white, and 11% as Black.
20% are English language learners.
23% receive special education services.
70% qualify for free and reduced lunch.
This episode explores how these educators tackled a major school climate challenge—morning entry chaos—and turned it into an opportunity to foster connection, structure, and collective efficacy.
The Problem: Morning Chaos and the Role of Collective Efficacy
In 2018, morning entry at New Britain High School had become a serious challenge. Students entered the school through any of its 510 exterior doors and had no designated place to go before the first bell. Teachers arrived early, only to find loud, unsupervised students roaming the hallways. Administrators and security staff were stretched thin, responding to frequent conflicts, fights, and general disorder. As Chris Conant described it:
“It was absolute madness... I’d get here at 6:15, an hour and a half before the first bell, and there’d be students running down the hallway or screaming. You never knew what you were going to get.”
It wasn’t just a logistical issue; it was a cultural problem that affected student safety, staff morale, and school-wide operations.
The solution required collective efficacy—bringing together teachers, administrators, and security staff to develop a shared understanding of the problem and take ownership of a sustainable, school-wide fix.
Steps to Implement the Morning Entry Intervention
To restore order and create a sense of community in the mornings, a diverse problem-solving team—including teachers, deans, security staff, and administrators—came together for a four-day planning session in the summer of 2018. Their solution involved three key components:
Controlled Entry Points: Instead of students entering through any door, the school implemented two single points of entry with ID swipe systems to track attendance.
Designated Morning Spaces for Students: Students were assigned to one of three supervised areas before school started: Cafeteria (for students getting breakfast or socializing) Gym (for students who wanted an active start to their day) Media Center (for students needing a quiet space to read or study)
Culture Building Through Staff Presence and Warm Welcomes: Teachers and administrators were stationed at the entrances to greet students by name and set a positive tone for the day. As Meg Shea emphasized:
"One of the things we talked about is how important it is for anyone to, when they start their day, just be greeted. A simple, ‘Hey, how are you?’ really helped shift the culture."
By focusing on structure and connection, the school created a predictable, positive routine for students and staff alike.
The Impact of the Morning Entry Procedures
The results were immediate and transformative:
Teachers felt less stress starting their day.
Security staff no longer had to chase incidents across campus.
Students quickly adapted to the new system and appreciated the predictability.
As Jim Brasile admitted:
"I thought it was going to be another place, another time in our day when we'd be fighting kids to go in the particular direction... but I'll be the first one to say that it's one of the best initiatives we've done."
Security staff also benefited, as Chris Conant observed:
"They used to sprint from one end of the building to the other... Now, at least they weren’t sprinting as far."
This simple but powerful intervention shifted the school’s morning culture, making it safer and more structured while preserving students’ autonomy in choosing how to start their day.
What Can We Learn?
The success of New Britain’s morning entry intervention offers key lessons for any school looking to address climate and culture challenges:
Systems Solve Problems – Addressing large-scale issues requires more than individual effort; it demands a clear, school-wide structure.
Start with a Team – Solutions are strongest when teachers, administrators, and staff work together to design and implement them.
Culture Change Requires Commitment – Simple routines, like staff greetings and predictable procedures, can shift school climate when consistently reinforced.
Listen to Students – As New Britain continues improving school culture, they’re applying these same principles to new challenges—like ensuring safe and accessible student bathrooms.
As Chris Conant reflected:
"Never think that all hope is lost. The idea of having staffed, specific locations for students in the morning had never even occurred to me. Now, it’s second nature."
The work of building a positive school climate never ends—but with collective efficacy, schools can take on even the toughest challenges and create lasting change.
Join the Conversation
Listen to the full episode to hear how New Britain High School continues to inspire change. Their journey reminds us that even the most entrenched problems can be solved with creativity, collaboration, and a relentless focus on what’s possible.
