By Harry Fisher
In every generation, Americans are called to reaffirm their faith in the institutions of self-government. These institutions—boards, commissions, councils—are the foundation of our working local democracy. And at the heart of these institutions is the principle of mutual respect. Lose that, and the body politic begins to wither.
Lately, in our venerable town, I fear that we have forgotten how to talk to one another. We are blessed with a town that is beautiful, a citizenry that is generous, and a record of responsible government. Yet even here, we find ourselves tangled in an increasingly uncivil discourse. That should trouble all of us, no matter the letter next to our name.
On Friday, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Toni Jones issued a community-wide message under the guise of her official position that crossed a line—not of partisanship, but of decorum and appropriateness. In her public statement, she alleged that the Board of Estimate and Taxation failed to support “basic operational needs” of the school district—needs she described as contractually required salaries, utilities, and transportation.
There are two things to be said here. First, this accusation is fundamentally manipulative. State law prohibits the BET from touching specific line items in the Board of Education’s budget. And second, it disregards a hard truth: our schools are not suffering from a lack of dollars but from how each of those $240+ million dollars are spent.
In the last five years, enrollment in Greenwich Public Schools has declined by more than 500 students. Yet the number of teachers has increased by 20. Absenteeism among teachers is twice the state average, costing taxpayers an additional $1 million. The system is top-heavy with administrative assistants and inflated hiring salaries. And yet, the BET has not shrunk the budget. It reduced the growth of an already robust request—from a 5.1% increase to a still-generous 3% increase.
Is that not fiscal responsibility? Is that not stewardship?
I have long believed that when public servants disagree, they must do so with dignity. We are not enemies, but colleagues—working under the same roof, toward the same goal: a town where every child can learn, and every taxpayer can trust. A public email from a salaried town employee making serious allegations about an elected independent fiscal board tasked with representing taxpayers erodes that trust. It sets fire where we need bridges.
The BET has approved record capital investments for our schools. Three major construction projects are moving forward at the same time—unprecedented in Greenwich history. The assertion that the BET is undermining the school system is not only untrue, it’s corrosive.
I also regret to observe that this isn’t an isolated incident. Across town meetings, letters to the editor, and social media posts, the tone has darkened. Anger masquerades as activism. Sarcasm substitutes for substance. Personal attacks and often outright lies have displaced public dialogue. And this, too, must end.
Some blame the tools of the age—email and Facebook and the swift send button. But I say the tools are not the problem. The heart is.
I’ve always said, “We can disagree without being disagreeable.” That’s not just a clever phrase—it’s a call to conscience. And it applies doubly to those who serve at the pleasure of the town: to remember that their role is not to scold or scorn elected boards, but to serve the public good with grace… and to set an example of what grace looks like for future generations.
To my Democratic friends, I offer this appeal: leadership is not about winning votes on a technicality, nor about weaponizing the airwaves of communication. The appointment of a Board of Education chair against long-standing custom, aided by partisan maneuvering, has further divided a town that was once guided by shared assumptions of fair play. Let us not deepen that division with words we cannot take back.
Our town deserves better. We all do.
Let us put down the torches and pick up the tools of statesmanship. Let us model for our children how to lead, not how to sow discord.
Because in the end, it’s not about Republicans or Democrats. It’s about the future we shape together as neighbors.
A life-long Greenwich resident, Harry Fisher serves as Chair of the BET
