Month: February 2024

In late January, Dr. Jennifer Chmiel Gillis presented the Superintendent’s mid-year progress update to the Board of School Committee. She provided updates on goals aligning with the District’s community-built strategic plan, highlighting progress in the three goal areas: Grow Our Learners, Grow Our Educators, and Grow Our System.

It is particularly notable that the District’s sustained efforts, as highlighted below, are yielding improvements in critical areas such as attendance, literacy, and mathematics. 

Grow our Learners

• Student Engagement in Learning
  • Increased opportunities for student engagement in their learning remain on track. The Dual Language Immersion initiative is underway with professional development and community sessions. Industry Recognized Credentials have increased from one session last school year to 11 so far this school year, and a second vacation camp is set for February. Pathways, aligned with the strategic plan’s profile of a graduate, link school work with college and career readiness. Graduation requirements have been increased to 22.5 credits to challenge and inspire our students. 
• Office of Civil Rights Agreement
  • The District’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) Agreement continues toward completion, with only one remaining item.  The District is awaiting OCR’s response to this final submission. 
• Middle School Model
  • Implementation of the Middle School Model continues on track. All four middle schools are in the NELMS (New England League of Middle Schools) work, including trainings. Student schedules continue to be further aligned across all four middle schools, including the course catalog for middle schools. 

Grow our Educators

• Professional Development
  • Providing ongoing, relevant, Professional Development (PD) for all staff continues on track. The District’s Professional Development plan is strategically aligned with goals for Growing our Learners. 
• Hiring
  • Opportunities and systems to diversify and strengthen Manchester School District’s workforce are underway, with a focus on both recruitment and retention. 

Grow Our System

• Alignment of Goals
  • Alignment of all goal sets (strategic plan, district, department, and school ABC – Attendance, Behavior, Curriculum goals) is complete, but continues to be monitored with the Teaching & Learning Committee for curriculum and Student Conduct for attendance and behavior. 
• Long-term Facilities Planning
  • Progress on the Long Term Facilities Project continues on track. Priority one projects are approved and being bonded. Priority two is in motion with the master plan coming for public presentation in late winter/early spring. 
• District Welcome Center
  • Establishing our District Welcome Center, as a one-stop source of information and engagement for students and families,  remains on track as two positions have been posted. The District is working to identify a location that is tied to long-term facilities planning.
• Community Partnerships
  • Expanding and celebrating community partnerships continues on track. Monthly partner meetings to optimize the application of community resources to the needs of our schools are ongoing. Manchester Proud’s Compass continues to be developed and promoted as a gateway to services and programs.

Guided by our capable and dedicated school leaders and staff, supported by our elected officials, and empowered by the will of our community, the Manchester School District is progressing toward our ultimate goal of exceptional public schools for ALL of Manchester.

Save the date and join us at the Rex Theater for the State of MSD 2024-2025 on September 19, 2024, to participate in a live update by Dr. Gillis and our school leaders.

“A Matter of Trust”

Manchester Proud exists to inform and inspire community engagement in the making of exceptional public schools – schools that are a vital source of knowledge, enrichment, and pride for all of Manchester.

Our success in achieving school-community engagement relies upon relationships founded on trust. I can hear the voice of Billy Joel as I write – sometimes it does indeed come down to a “Matter of Trust”. But, in a world broadcasting so much unfounded misinformation and intentionally misleading disinformation, how do we decide who to trust? 

Trust is earned by those who consistently act and speak truthfully and with good intent. They may not always “be right”, but they always strive to “do right”, to advance the greater good. When it comes to matters as critical to Manchester’s future as our public schools, it is essential that our actions be guided by accurate, reliable information. There can be no allowance for misrepresentation. Albert Einstein famously said, “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters”. The people of Manchester expect their leaders to take great care to express and uphold that which is fair and true. 

Manchester Proud works day in and out to earn our community’s trust by grounding our work in facts and speaking truthfully. Our Council and Work Group members all sign-on to our “Champion’s Declaration”, which includes a pledge to perform all duties with:

Integrity – Demonstrating the highest standards of conduct, accountability, trustworthiness, and fairness

Excellence – Striving to meet the highest standards of performance, quality, service, and achievement

Honesty – Communicating directly, respectfully, honestly, and openly

Responsibility – Taking responsibility for one’s actions and decisions and being a careful steward of the mission and values of Manchester Proud

Undoubtedly, these words are easier said than lived, but we can all try a bit harder. And we must instill in our students the critical thinking needed to discern fact from fiction. Let’s work together to distinguish Manchester as a community that thrives in a culture of trust, founded on Integrity, Excellence, Honesty, and Responsibility.