“The Hunk” - An Odyssey in Inclusive Catholic Education

Celebrating 10 Years of One Classroom in the Archdiocese of St. Louis

He is known as “The Hunk” and he inspired a movement.

This movement – One Classroom – has enriched the landscape of Catholic education in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, and is shaping a culture of belonging and unconditional love. Christopher “Chris” Armitage’s witness proves that students with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) can attend Catholic schools alongside their peers, while influencing their communities in a profound way.

When Chris’s parents Tony and LeeAnn founded One Classroom in 2015, it involved three students and one school. Today, that number has surged to 112 students and 28 schools. Some would say this triumph is the result of the relentless pursuit of inclusive education by the Armitage family. They will tell you it’s the Holy Spirit at work. 

To understand the story of One Classroom and Chris’s impact, one must first recognize that “The Hunk” is a warrior. Born with Down syndrome, underdeveloped lungs, heart and brain conditions, societal norms wrote him off at 20 weeks in the womb. Steadfast in faith, Tony and LeeAnn disregarded suggestions of terminating the pregnancy. Even during delivery, they did not know the outcome. Christopher arrived to loving parents, and fought for his life from the get-go.

As Tony and LeeAnn recall, the first four years of Chris’s life were about survival. At five weeks, he had shunt surgery to drain fluid from his brain. At five months, he had a complex heart surgery; an impressive feat to this day. The Armitage family entered into a cycle of appointments, surgery and recovery. With his parents and older sister by his side, The Hunk forged on; outperforming perceived limitations at every turn.

When Chris finally started walking and it came time to consider preschool, Tony and LeeAnn thought it only natural to enroll him at Mary Queen of Peace (MQP) with his sister Mary. They knew what was available in the public school system, but they wanted him in a faith-based environment. What they didn’t realize, is that it wouldn’t be that easy. “I just assumed Chris could go to MQP with everyone else. I was definitely in denial about the mechanics of how to do inclusive education. I just wanted my child in his community and to be loved for who he is,” recalled LeeAnn.

For his first year of preschool, it worked out fine. Tony and LeeAnn pitched the idea to reluctant leadership and paid for a paraprofessional to accompany Chris to school. According to Tony, “We didn’t know what we were doing, we just wanted to get him in.” This approach seemed to work until school leadership said he couldn’t come back the following year; it was simply too much. 

Community came to the rescue.

Chris was home-schooled for a year while the Armitage’s regrouped. Taking “no” for an answer was not an option. As it turned out, it wasn’t acceptable to the MQP community either. People rallied…big-time. They showed up on the Armitage’s doorstep offering to help, wrote letters and petitions, prayed and said rosaries, and advocated for Chris when it mattered most. “We were really overwhelmed with the love and support of the community,” said Tony. “People let us know that we weren’t alone. They wanted Chris there and their kids wanted Chris there. They gave us the momentum to keep going.”

And so, they did.

LeeAnn’s spirit and heart, and Tony’s business acumen kicked into high gear. A bus trip to see an inclusive Catholic program in Kansas City was the push they needed to keep hope alive. The FIRE Foundation in Kansas City had a successful model for inclusive education, and arranged for the Armitage’s, parish leadership, and their MQP support network to visit an inclusive school. When a bus load of adults crowded into a classroom where a child with Down syndrome was learning alongside his classmates, the Holy Spirit took over.

“Here we are crowded into this classroom, and the teacher asked every child to stand up and talk about what it was like to have this boy with Down syndrome in class,” said Tony. “What they said touched all of us so deeply that there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. The love and acceptance those children shared was only possible because of the Holy Spirit acting in their hearts.”

THAT was the moment.

They got back on the bus, and everything changed. MQP’s pastor was fully on board saying it was better to ‘try and fail, than to not try at all.’ But he also stipulated that the Armitage’s had to prove they could do this without fundraising from the parish. Fortunately, the stars started to align. The Archdiocese of St. Louis had just appointed a new Archbishop and superintendent of schools, and both supported One Classroom’s inclusive model. Tony’s boss and St. Louis philanthropist Fred Brown became One Classroom’s first board member, and gave them the financial backing to really get the ball rolling. Inclusive education at MQP was now official.

This is when the calls to Tony and LeeAnn came from other parents who wanted inclusive education at their parish schools; in droves. The anger and frustration of these parents was relatable, and the Armitage’s realized they had to open the doors to everyone. Inclusion wasn’t just for MQP; the dynamics had to evolve, and One Classroom’s model had to support other families at more schools. But as Tony and LeeAnn learned early on, inclusion can’t be forced. To gain traction, they had to cast a wide net and find those communities already open to the idea.

“We hosted an event at Priory where we brought in the experts and invited anyone who wanted to come,” said Tony. “I don’t remember how we got the word out, but 150 people showed up and were eager to learn. By the end of the night, the parish schools at Incarnate Word, St. Mary Magdalen and Sacred Heart Florissant were on board.”

Tony and LeeAnn had punched through the wall.

Strategies for creating awareness, embracing early adopters, and broadcasting the message ensued. Major fundraising started to happen, and the expertise of outside consultants came out of the blue. The first to emerge, Dr. Katy Schierding, helped the Armitage’s see that the number one resource needed to make inclusive education fly was not funding, but professional development. There was raw fear that needed real methodology, and there was a network of local resources and schools to make it possible.

One of those schools was Webster University. Tony connected with Dr. Stephanie Mahfood of the education department, and he gave a presentation to one of her classes. Colleen Mooney, One Classroom’s Director of Programming, was in the audience that day as a master’s student. Colleen had experience as a teacher and was pursuing a degree in special education. Tony’s message resonated with Colleen who is also a parent of a child with IDD and a faithful Catholic. As if scripted, Tony and LeeAnn hired her as a consultant. New to working for a nonprofit organization, Colleen jumped in with both feet and started going into schools. One thing led to another, including Colleen’s creation of standards and indicators and the One Classroom Manual for Inclusive Catholic Education, which has been foundational to One Classroom’s programming.

Colleen recalls, “After Tony gave the presentation, my dean came up to me and said, ‘You two need to connect.’ My husband and I had dinner with Tony and LeeAnn, and the rest is history.” She added, “The kids and their neurotypical peers are the driving force behind everything we do. Seeing their reactions and natural acceptance of one another is the best part.”

As the good news of One Classroom spread, Chris’s journey at MQP continued, and more children followed at more parish schools. In a few short years, One Classroom’s scope evolved from simply raising funds and adding schools into a vehicle for best practices and lasting impact. Significant financial support from the Kevin Beckmann Charitable Trust at YouthBridge Community Foundation and from the Archdiocese of St. Louis through the Annual Catholic Appeal, along with the individual generosity of more than 600 donors, has enabled One Classroom to give parents, educators and clergy the tools for fruitful and sustainable application.

Synergy is driving the movement to Catholic high schools.  

With more funding for paraprofessionals, Catholic school resources, and interactive training sessions, the past three years have exploded with new prospects. So much so, that three One Classroom students are now in high school inclusion programs. One of those schools, St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School, welcomed Chris as a freshman in 2024. While many high schools viewed Chris’s needs as an insurmountable obstacle, St. Mary’s saw an opportunity to bring Christ into the lives of their students and faculty.

“Our school has always been about raising each other up. All of us face challenges of some type, and Chris is no different,” explained Mike England, President of St. Mary’s. “When the Armitage’s approached us, we knew this could be a win for everybody. We had to make sure we had the systems and resources in place to give Chris what he needed, and once that was done, our students and faculty were committed to making it work. Chris’s presence has been a blessing to our community, teaching our young men that it’s not just about achievement, it’s about empathy. We’re excited to see Chris’s growth over the next three years, and how we can help chart the future of inclusive education at Catholic high schools in St. Louis.”

St. Mary’s has made Chris’s inclusion experience intentional and enriching for the entire community. Chris has a peer mentor, a lunch group, and is learning according to his capabilities while in proximity of other students in general education classrooms. He has academic, social and spiritual metrics, and most importantly, the student body has embraced him as one of their own.

“We were out to dinner recently, and this young man starting yelling, ‘Chris! Chris!’ He ran over and gave Chris a fist-pump and starting talking to him. Turns out, he is one of Chris’s classmates at St. Mary’s,” said Tony. “There is genuine love by his peers.”

LeeAnn added, “Chris is so excited for school each day that he stands by the door with his backpack a half hour before we need to leave. We’ve seen major changes in his social skills, spiritual development and ability to learn. We’ve always wanted to give Chris a community that loves and appreciates him for who he is. At MQP and now St. Mary’s, it’s what he’s got.”

What’s next for One Classroom?

According to Tony and LeeAnn, there’s much work to be done and they’ve put together a talented team and dedicated board of directors to make it possible. With more than 120 schools in the Archdiocese, One Classroom’s presence represents only 20 percent of parish elementary schools and only two high schools. With so many One Classroom students in the pipeline for high school, the Armitage’s would like to see every Catholic high school accept two students per year. The second, and even higher priority, is that there are no contingencies for acceptance. One Classroom has always prioritized students with the most significant needs, and this remains central to the mission.

“We’ve always been a little different because we favor students with the biggest challenges. The greater the disability, the higher the priority. It’s too easy to give up on the  kids who need it the most,” said Tony.

The Armitage’s also make it clear that One Classroom isn’t just about inclusive education, it’s about getting people to Heaven.

 As Tony says, “The key to understanding Christ, is to understand servitude and sacrifice. The best way to invite the Holy Spirit into your school is to embrace a sacrificial love like Christ. If we are all members of the same community, we can’t include some on the path to Heaven and exclude others because of disability. My advice to schools that are hesitant about including these students is to start now and don’t be afraid to take a risk. You’ll be blessed by your efforts, and we can move toward a more authentic form of Catholic education.”

In the meantime, “The Hunk” remains his trusting, resilient, funny and pure self. A joyful warrior among us who shines the light of Christ everywhere he goes.