Teachers' concerns still an issue at Junior/Senior High School

Two weeks ago, the Mirror reported that a group of 21 staff members at Manchester Junior/Senior High School had shared a letter with Superintendent Bradley Bezeau, Principal Andy Rousselo, HR Director Laura Neal, and the Manchester Community Schools' Board of Education, concerned that a "hostile work environment" existed at the school and asking for support from the administrators and school board.

Checking in with staff members, school board president Ryan Novess, and administration this week, to see if the situation had eased over time, we were told by staff that things are "no worse" but there has been no significant improvement yet, either.

Some of the concerns mentioned included student discipline issues, disrespect for teachers and other staff members, and vandalism. Some teachers and staff are also being targeted by parents with harassment.

There have been meetings held between Bezeau, Rousselo, and some of the staff members, including teachers, who had signed the letter, but staff indicated little progress was being made.

Novess said, "While myself or other board members haven't been (there), I do know the superintendent and principal have had staff meetings to sort things out. To my knowledge, last Tuesday staff and admin met to further work through the issues raised by teachers regarding the work environment. In talking with Dr. Bezeau since then, the meetings have been productive and he is working in earnest to address their concerns.

"I have faith that Dr. Bezeau and Mr. Rousselo will put their best foot forward and provide the support teachers are asking for throughout the school year."

Some teachers have met with MEA legal counsel and those discussions are ongoing. Also currently, a union grievance has been filed by the Manchester teachers, which is currently in the hands of the superintendent.

Superintendent Brad Bezeau said, "I've been able to meet with the Manchester Jr./Sr. High School teachers and staff on two separate occasions during the last two weeks to ensure that their voices are being heard and that we come together collaboratively to address their concerns and to come up with solutions that we can work together on implementing.

"By continuing to adhere to the student code of conduct, and to reframe the expectations of students, staff, and visitors to our school during the upcoming second quarter, we've been able to spell out our next steps as we work through the 2021-2022 school year," Bezeau concluded.

"It's a tough situation our teachers find themselves in and I have empathy for the tribulations they navigate through on a daily basis," Novess said. "What they would like is to simply come to work every day to teach and enrich our students without having to worry about all the additional stresses that have materialized. I trust that our admin and teachers will come together to support each other."

"We have been promised that there will be a 'full reset' at the end of the quarter," said a teacher. "By that we are hoping that things will be much different when school begins on Nov. 1. We would like the administration to set firm expectations for staff and students, and follow through on their commitments. Parents also need to be informed of these expectations so they can be prepared."

The teacher added, "We received an apology for the situation from Dr. Bezeau, but it doesn't go far unless you put action behind your words."

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.