On an administrative level, Erin Ortega, Chief of Staff for Manchester Public Schools, shared that her office is also working to combat inequities within the Manchester community, including providing students access to technology, internet hotspots and food. Manchester Public Schools has received funding for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Ortega said, as well as additional grants that have allowed the Town of Manchester to continue to divest resources into Race and Equity work.

While both teachers and MPS administrators acknowledge the heightened inequities in Manchester, Rhonda Philbert, Equity Coordinator for Manchester Public Schools’ Office of Equity and Partnerships, said the actual process of collecting data can and should be improved. While COVID has certainly heightened inequities at a local level, including within Manchester Public Schools, Philbert said that there is a lack of disaggregated data for communities of color. This means that while localities are reporting data on inequities and COVID-19, they are not breaking the data down to give accurate and complete data on race and equity, Philbert said.

 “You have to know the trends. Once you know the trends, you can assess the need,” Philbert said.

This inclusive data, that of which includes race and ethnicity information, will allow MPS administrators and staff to better pinpoint and address the needs of students of color, Philbert said. According to Philbert’s research, Manchester High School’s Latinx students are two times more likely and black students are one and a half times more likely to not be on track academically in comparison to their white counterparts.

Manchester did not begin to disaggregate data until January 2021, Philbert said, and in her latest research, she discovered that Latinx and Hispanic students had the highest total of positive COVID-19 cases. In fact, Latinx and Hispanic students are 1.5 times more likely to be infected with COVID-19 than their white counterparts, Philbert said.

In addition, Philbert found that 36% of Latinx and Hispanic students are exclusively learning remotely, compared to 30% of Black/African-American students, 24% of white students and 10% of Asian/Asian-American students. However, 44% of white students are choosing the hybrid option, compared to 25% of Latinx or Hispanic students, 23% of Black/African-American students and 7.4% of Asian/Asian-American students. When Philbert asked the Manchester Health Department why they were not disaggregating for their data, she was told that they did not have the capacity and that some did not want to, due to possible uneasiness in asking people to identify their race or ethnicity.

Despite the Town’s delay in disaggregating data, Philbert said that the school district already has a system in place to disaggregate data by race and ethnicity. Superintendent of Schools Matthew Geary is actively working on a hybrid learning plan that would address the inequities that have been heightened by COVID. This includes, among other items, an emphasis on making sure that teachers are prioritized when it comes to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Additional resources need to be allotted to allow for wider disaggregation of data, Philbert said, specifically in relation to health, economic impact and other crucial reporting measures.

Philbert challenged Manchester to live up to the proclamation they made, which stated that the town commits to “decrying prejudice, racism and discrimination within the community, while acknowledging that education is one important way to improve and help build positive relationships between all departments of the [Town] of Manchester and residents”.

“If you have the proclamation, then you gotta do the work,” Philbert said.

Community member and local parent Teresa echoed Philbert’s sentiment. Many parents in Manchester’s Latinx community are struggling to help their children, Teresa said, and they have received little support from MPS. Many parents were not given Spanish-language instructions on how to use the school-issued laptops or how to setup internet hotspots, Teresa said, and many Latinx and Hispanic families feel helpless. In addition, Teresa, who helps Spanish-speaking families navigate the MPS systems, said that many school counselors and teachers lack empathy for those who struggle to express themselves comfortably in English. Many are also fearful of losing their culture if the school system and town continues to only tailor their information to English speakers, negating, among others, Spanish-language speakers.  

After she wrote about her grievances that she both witnessed and experienced within Manchester Public Schools to the Superintendent of Schools, Teresa said that MPS responded back to her explaining that only 4% of Manchester speaks predominantly Spanish and that she should use resources such as Google Translate. However, Teresa explained that this number is inaccurate; when Spanish-speaking parents have to fill out the MPS school registration form, many of them go to an English-speaking friend to fill out the form on their behalf. In addition, the registration form itself has many intrusive questions, specifically those that ask about when they arrived in America and where they are originally from, Teresa said. This scares family members and students alike, due to either fear of deportation for those who are undocumented or, if they are citizens, fear for other family members.

Although there are still many improvements that need to be made, Philbert acknowledged that the Town of Manchester is taking steps toward a more equitable community for all. She commends Manchester for hiring a local Health Equity Coordinator, Amy Beaulieu, “whose primary responsibilities include reviewing and developing policies to promote good health in the face of unequal economic conditions and disparate treatment related to race and disability,” according to the Hartford Courant.

Outside of school and academic life, many families and students are still in desperate need of support. Sheridan Douglass, the Prevention Coordinator for Manchester’s Change Collaborative, said that she and her staff have been on the front lines, working to alleviate the negative impacts that the pandemic has compounded. In order to better regulate a “normal” out-of-school life, Douglass has hosted many youth-targeted events, including hiking trips and Netflix movie nights. In addition, through their partnership with Manchester’s Youth Service Bureau, Douglass has connected struggling families with resources including food, clothing and shelter.

Unfortunately, students and their families are not the only population that have been affected by the inequities reinforced by COVID. One group whose struggles have only be heightened by the virus would be the elderly and the disabled, two groups who have experienced widespread struggles throughout the past year. In order to combat these inequities, community organizations such as UR Community Cares have worked to meet the needs of these groups in Manchester and over 100 surrounding towns. Over the past months, countless elderly or disabled individuals have wanted to receive the vaccine, but many do not have access to transportation or funds to pay for transportation services, UR Community Cares co-founder Michelle Puzzo said. To meet this community need, UR Community Cares offers a free transportation service to locations such as the grocery store, pharmacy and health appointments, Puzzo said.

In addition to transportation aid, UR Community Cares often offers a variety of volunteer-led services for Connecticut’s communities, Puzzo said. Over the past years, volunteers have assisted local elderly and disabled communities with services such as yard work, snow shoveling, food drop-off and plumbing, Puzzo said. Along with providing help to these vulnerable populations, Puzzo said that they also connect clients with area hospitals and health agencies, ensuring that all of their clients are receiving the proper medical attention. If you are interested in becoming a client or volunteering for UR Community Cares, register online here or contact Puzzo at (860)430-4557.

While some may struggle to see their role in social change, it is crucial that everyone grapples with what they can do to create a more equitable Manchester community.  Whether it be volunteering with UR Community Cares or becoming more active in local planning meetings, it is the duty of each of us to work toward a more just and equitable community for all.