Superintendent, Chicopee Public Schools
The Springfield native’s first Superintendency brings him back to his roots.
Now in his second year as Superintendent of the Chicopee Public Schools, Dr. Marcus L. Ware is eager to build on the foundation he established during his first year on the job. Although he grew up in nearby Springfield, Marcus is new to Chicopee and new to the Superintendency, so he recognized the need to begin with a focus on relationships – especially fostering trust with families, staff, and the community.
He said, “Chicopee is a true family. Everyone is connected. Everyone knows one another.”
The city, he said, is made up of many different cultures – including some that have lived in Chicopee for generations and others that are newer to the area. Each has its own traditions and events, and Marcus has prioritized accepting invitations to parades, festivals, and other celebrations where he can listen, learn, and immerse himself in the community.
“There’s a lot of nostalgia here,” he said. “When folks talk, it’s all nostalgia. I could have rejected that and said ‘I don’t want to be a part of that’ – or just pretended that I care. But I really do care, and I truly want to understand the cultures and the history.”
During his first year, Marcus said he spent a lot of time in schools, visiting classrooms and talking to students and teachers. He established relationships with each of the 12 members of the School Committee. He even taught a Zumba class for staff. Marcus committed to working closely with each of his 15 principals, saying, “It was important to get to know them, build trust with them, and let them see that I understand the area and our students.”
Exploring a variety of educational settings
When Marcus was a student at Putnam Vocational Technical High School in Springfield, he did not envision a career in education.
“I said I would never become a teacher,” he recalled. “Then I got to college and did a lot of tutoring – I was a Science major and Math minor, those were my passions – and I was able to share them with people and get them to learn.”
Even then, Marcus envisioned a career in higher education rather than K-12 schools. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Meteorology from Western Connecticut State University, he began working on a college campus in student activities and residential life, but he quickly heard a calling to work with younger students. A friend encouraged him to apply for a position at an independent boarding school, and so began a 13-year chapter in private independent schools, working as a Science teacher, adviser, coach, and other roles – culminating with a return to his hometown to serve as the first Head of School at Springfield Commonwealth Academy. During that time, Marcus earned a Master’s degree from Cambridge College in Education, with a focus on Counseling and Special Education, and a Doctorate degree from the University of Hartford in Educational Leadership and Administration.
“Then I had an awakening and realized I missed public education,” he said.
Marcus was eager to make a difference in public schools like those he had attended as a child. In 2018, he began working in the Windham Public Schools in Willimantic, CT, first as an assistant principal and principal, and later in the central office as Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives. Those experiences inspired him to believe he could make an even greater impact as a Superintendent, and he went on to earn his Superintendent license in 2021.
When the Superintendent position opened in Chicopee, the city next to his hometown, he knew that’s where he was meant to be. The School Committee selected Marcus for the position, which he began in July 2023.
Charting a course for success
Today, Marcus speaks frankly about the power of public education – and about the significant challenges facing educators and district leaders.
“I think about those who fought so hard for so long to guarantee rights for everyone, including the right to a free public education,” he said. “When I think about all of the students who are not performing at grade level, it’s not only sad and disappointing to me. It can paralyze me if I’m not careful.”
For Marcus, the antidote to paralysis is planning. One of his top priorities for this school year is to engage the community in a strategic planning process. He is hopeful that the process will create opportunities to celebrate success but also to confront gaps and areas for improvement.
“Developing the strategic plan will be a way to bring everyone to the table to take an honest look at the data,” he said. “The data dive we have to do will evoke a lot of emotion, but I think it will give us the ability to look at ourselves and really talk about who we want to become.”
Marcus realizes that for a community deeply invested in tradition, change may not come easily. He cited the danger of proceeding too quickly on new ideas without buy-in from families and staff.
“The lesson for me is that sometimes it’s ok to go slowly,” he said. “It’s been very challenging to slow myself down.”
Throughout his career, Marcus said he has relied on mentors who have helped him and grow as an educator and a leader. He said he benefits from the insights of Superintendents in other Massachusetts cities by serving as tri-chair of the M.A.S.S. Urban Superintendents Network. But Marcus’ greatest source of strength and inspiration, he said, is his circle of friends and family, with whom he spends as much of his free time as possible.
A role model for students of color
Marcus noted the particular sense of pride he feels being a Black man in a leadership role, particularly to help students of color envision successful futures for themselves. He is fluent in Spanish and sees how much it means to Hispanic and Latin students to hear the Superintendent speaking in their home language.
“I realize how important it is to tell my story and let people take what they want from that,” he said.
Having spent most of his career in secondary schools, Marcus said he was accustomed to fist bumps from students in the hallways, especially from students of color. He was not as prepared for the outpouring of affection from pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students.
“I get a lot of hugs around the leg,” he said with a laugh. “When I’m out in the community, parents have told me, ‘My child was so happy to see someone [in a leadership role] who looks like them.’ It pulls on my heartstrings.”
Marcus said he believes deeply in leading by example. A critical part of the job, he said, is just “showing up” – being in schools, interacting with students, listening to concerns, and letting people see for themselves his passion and commitment.
“Chicopee will accept you as long as you jump in,” he said. “So I have jumped in, and they’ve accepted me. They love being tight-knit, and they really do care. They took a chance on me as an outsider, and I don’t want to betray that.”
