MANCHESTER, N.H.- Officials from the Manchester School District are pushing back and defending the Dual Language Immersion program at the Barkerville school following recent comments by the founder of HOPE NH Inc.
Superintendent of Schools Jennifer Chmiel has come out against comments made by Matt Courchesne, founder and executive director of “Helping Our Pupils Excel”, otherwise known as HOPE NH Inc, calling his comments “disingenuous and not honest.”
The need for a response comes after Courchesne spoke during the public comment portion of the August 10th meeting in which he said the program’s implementation has led to a negative impact on both teachers and families in the neighborhood;
“The change I’ve witnessed at Bakersville Elementary since the implementation of the dual language immersion program compels me to speak tonight…Before coming here, I reached out privately to three board members. One board member specifically told me I don’t understand the program and was spreading misinformation. Here is what I do understand: I’ve been part of that building for the past five years, investing both time and money. I’ve seen the implementation of the program and the change of culture it has had on the Bakersfield community. The evidence I see is an exodus of teachers leaving Bakersville. When an entire instructional team turns over during the implementation of a major initiative, that should prompt questions not assumptions that everything is wonderful.
“I am also concerned about the impact this program may have on Bakersville as a neighborhood school. As the program expands, families may have fewer meaningful choices if they discover DLI is not the right fit for their child. Parents should not have to choose between staying in a specialized program and staying in their neighborhood school.”
Courchesne then asked the board to review the implementation and outcomes of the dual language immersion program.
Chmiel went on to say that say Courchesne comments were inappropriate;
“To speak about our principal leaving because of DLI, I’ve been communicating by text with her to confirm that I’m not missing anything, that’s not appropriate. To talk about our staff who left because of DLI, that is not appropriate. Nobody in this room has a right to know exactly what’s going on in someone’s life, but to associate it with DLI is not appropriate. When I hear that it’s hurting children, we haven’t thought about data, and we haven’t thought about the impacts to the Bakersville community, not accurate, not appropriate.”
The DLI program began back in 2024 when the school started offering Spanish-English kindergarten class, while working towards grade level-learning standards while learning to speak, read and write in two languages.
