Exciting new initiative coming to Manchester Community Schools

submitted by Maggie Hatcher, C.A.R.E.™ in Schools

Manchester Community Schools have partnered with C.A.R.E.™ in Schools in an effort to build community connections and to help give all families and staff a voice in the improvement and success of our district. C.A.R.E.™ in Schools was founded by Madeline Black, who chose Maggie Hatcher, an MCS alumna, as her partner in this new approach to school improvement consultation.

C.A.R.E.™ stands for Community, Attitude, Resiliency and Empathy, which Madeline and Maggie believe are the main pillars of a healthy, successful, and united school culture and climate. Madeline and Maggie have been collaborating in the world of education for over a decade and have a combined 50 years of experience in the education field. Before starting C.A.R.E.™ in Schools, Madeline served as the superintendent for the school in which Maggie served as an engagement coach, team leader, and social studies teacher. At that school, Maggie and Madeline discovered the power of home visits. Between the two of them, Maggie and Madeline have visited more than 1,000 homes throughout Detroit and many other areas of Michigan. While conducting these visits, they discovered how empowering the concept of home visits could be.

Maggie stated, “When you change the venue and allow families and staff to host representatives from their schools, they instantly feel how valued they are and become more empowered to express themselves freely. It’s a simple concept that completely changes the dynamic and relationship between schools and the families they serve. We want to hear from students, family members, and the entire staff — and for many, going through the process of making an appointment and entering the principal or superintendent’s office can be a tedious or even intimidating task. The formality of it may stifle people’s openness and willingness to share. Having a neutral party conduct these conversations in the home allows for anonymity and the opportunity to share freely and comfortably.

“Furthermore,“ she continued, “visiting a family’s home instantly shows an unheard-of level of care and investment in the needs, feelings, and priorities of those being met, which is a top priority in reuniting a district like Manchester that has suffered from a feeling of division in recent years. The leadership at MCS is showing a real commitment to repairing that division by partnering with us and we are so excited to get to work.”

Madeline added, “Absolutely, and what you get in return from the visits is detailed and intimate data that cannot be gained in any other format and you get increased buy-in and investment from the families and staff who may not have realized that their voice was valued in the past as well. That data can then be used to improve upon what is already working, solve existing problems, and in the improvement of the overall school climate and success. These measures are essential not only for the success of the current students but for the success of the entire district.

“It’s remarkable,“ she concluded, “to see what can be accomplished when the gap between home and school is finally bridged and those that have not had a voice loud enough to be heard over others are given an opportunity to be heard and to have a real impact on their school. It’s a beautiful thing!”

Families and staff at MCS should have already received an email and instructions on how to show their willingness to participate in the upcoming home visits, which will start the first week of December. Madeline and Maggie will conduct a series of home visits for each building, followed by a Community Connection Night for each building and finally, a district-wide Connection Night for the whole district. While the home visits are for all teachers, support staff, and families in MCS, the Community Connection Nights are open to everyone in the community whether they work or have a child in district or not. These events will provide the community an opportunity to break bread and connect through activities designed to remind all that they have much more in common than what divides them and to reestablish a united front in what is most important, the success and health of our most precious asset, our kids and their schools.

The Community Connection Nights will be held as follows:

• Manchester Jr/Sr High School Community Connection Night on 12/14/2022 from 5:30 to 7:30pm
• Riverside Intermediate School Community Connection Night on 02/22/2023 from 5:30 to 7:30pm
• Klager Elementary School Community Connection Night on 03/21/2023 from 5:30 to 7:30pm
• District-wide Community Connection Celebration on 04/27/2023 from 5:30 to 7:30pm

MCS is excited to welcome C.A.R.E.™ in Schools and encourages all to participate in this initiative to help solve existing problems, expand on all the wonderful things about our district, and, most importantly, unite as a community.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.