CARE in Schools wraps up year of work with Manchester Community Schools

Madeline Black, founder of C.A.R.E.™ in Schools. (Screenshot courtesy C.A.R.E.™ in Schools)

by Marsha Chartrand

Last fall, Manchester Community Schools partnered with C.A.R.E.™ in Schools in an effort to rebuild community connections and give families and staff a voice in the improvement and success of our district.

C.A.R.E.™ stands for Community, Attitude, Resiliency, and Empathy, which founder Madeline Black and partner Maggie Hatcher, an MCS alumna, believe are the main pillars of a healthy, successful, and united school culture and climate. Their innovative approach to school improvement consultation garnered some remarkable results for the district, according to an exit interview with Brad Bezeau, MCS Superintendent.

“It has really been about giving the community and staff a voice,” Bezeau said. “It has given us an opportunity to hear directly from our stakeholders. This is something that during the pandemic and its subsequent challenges … it was a time when decorum and collegiality took a back seat for a lot of reasons. Because of our work with C.A.R.E.™ in Schools, we have been able to establish new tools to work together and reconnect with our staff and the wider community.”

Bezeau credited the Community Stakeholder Nights that were held several times during the school year as an “investment in the district” as having really made a difference. He also noted that some parents who would not feel comfortable speaking out in a larger forum were given the opportunity for home visits.

“These were priceless opportunities for our parents, our students, and for the district,” he said. “The home visits proved that we would meet them where they are at and hear them in that type of forum.”

Some of the feedback was provided anonymously to the C.A.R.E.™ in Schools staff and Bezeau said that although he feels a high level of trust between staff and administration he admitted that the dynamic can be different when questions are asked and answered in an anonymous forum, and the answers can be even more revealing than anticipated.

At the end of the school year, C.A.R.E.™ in Schools provided personalized recommendations for school improvements that Bezeau, reflecting on the experience, says will help with day-to-day programming as well as long-range planning within the district.

“You guys are the real deal,” he told Black and Hatcher.

Ultimately, all agreed, the original purpose in working with C.A.R.E.™ in Schools was achieved — which was to reestablish a united front in what is most important, the success and health of our most precious asset — our kids and their schools.

Maggie Hatcher, C.A.R.E.™ in Schools Leader (Screenshot courtesy C.A.R.E.™ in Schools)

MCS Superintendent Brad Bezeau

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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.