An interview with Ms. Francoeur
By Brady Winkler
I’ve known “Ingride with an E” (as I called her at age 3) since I was in preschool. Ms. Francoeur was a teacher at The Children’s Way for many years before coming to Wayland Middle School. I would also see her as she was a counselor at Pegasus summer camp. She became a friend to my mother and we loved seeing her at different events around town. Although she has been a teacher in Wayland since 2000, Ms. Francoeur grew up in Haiti and has many fascinating stories to tell. In May, I sat down with her to learn more about the amazing life she leads. During the interview, I had the privilege of seeing some of Ms. Francoeur’s artifacts from her childhood. They included photos of the most important family members that helped to shape her life.
Her unique experiences go back to her childhood in Haiti. Ms. Francoeur loved it, but also learned to enjoy life wherever she was. She grew up in the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince with her mother, grandfather, aunt, siblings, and cousin all in one household. Although her grandfather was strict, he was an amazing man that everyone looked up to. He taught her to appreciate life in the city and suburbs. He also stressed the importance of working with people of different backgrounds. He was a political activist, a mason and a general inspector. He shared his love of music with Ms. Francoeur, and music of all types still brings her joy. Her grandfather also built houses, was a missionary, and even worked towards overthrowing a bad president, which sent him to prison.
Because of a massacre in Haiti, she was unable to stay in her country for long. Haiti was going through a period of evolution causing significant political chaos for the country. Her grandfather, mother, aunt and cousin left the country first in order to start a new life for their family in America.. At just age nine, Ms. Francoeur flew to America with only her siblings. Keep in mind, she had never stepped foot on a plane, and had no idea what our country was like. Even after being fortunate enough to fly over twenty-five times in my life, I still would be terrified leaving the only country I ever knew.
When Ms. Francoeur became a mother herself, her own mother enrolled her son and daughter into the Metco program in Wayland. Ms. Francoeur initially didn’t know much about the program but she quickly learned to navigate the system and understand the culture. She had the benefit of being a teacher at The Children’s Way preschool when her own children were students in Wayland. They grew together as they all learned about the Wayland Public Schools at the same time. Ms. Francoeur began lobbying for Metco, became a track coach, an after school teacher and joined several committees. She got involved in activities and sports and many of her colleagues became her friends. As Ms. Francoeur mentioned during the interview “You can walk the walk but can you talk the talk?”. She was able to understand the program from a parent, teacher and student perspective.
Ms. Francoeur shared with me her top three pieces of advice for students joining the Metco program.
- Be open-minded, take risks and try new things. At first, coming to Wayland may feel difficult because the majority of students and staff are predominantly white.
- Find a teacher you feel a connection with that can help you navigate the program and counsel you when needed. Be proactive about getting the help you need and be accountable to yourself and others.
- Make sure you get involved in after school activities as it opens many doors to other opportunities and creates social connections with other students and teachers.
On behalf of the Orange and Black newspaper I would like to thank Ms. Francoeur for her time, wisdom and for being so open with me about her amazing life experiences. Most of all, I would like to thank her for her 23 years of service in Wayland. Please take the time to read her full article, Making Metco work for you.
