The Town Deserves Better

To the Editor:

The comments I have written below are my own and do not represent an official position of the Board of Education (BOE) or necessarily reflect the opinions of its other members.

As a civic volunteer and a member of one of the town’s elected bodies, I recognize how critically important it is that each of us work to advance the interests of the town, its people, and the broader community. This is not always easy. As the families of board members know all too well, the time commitments inherent in such public service can be substantial (BOE meetings that run past midnight, meetings with other boards, contract negotiations, disciplinary proceedings, senior administration job interviews, building and facility improvement/expansion meetings, etc, etc).

There are also the frustrations inherent in being unable to achieve all of one’s goals when other people do not share your specific vision of a better community. But, when handled properly, such disagreements are a good thing as debate and compromise often result in better, more informed decisionmaking. I have had numerous spirited disagreements with my fellow BOE members over a variety of issues. But, no matter how strongly I may have opposed another board member’s position or proposal, I have never doubted that the board member was genuinely and sincerely pursuing what he or she believed to be in the best interest of the children, the school system, and the town.

Similarly, when another board member and I appeared before the Legislative Council last week to discuss school board business, some of the council’s members plainly did not agree with some of my positions. Challenging questions and comments were posed and presented to my fellow board member and me. Serious differences of opinion and perspective were voiced. But, all of this was done with a sense of professionalism, personal decorum, and mutual respect. Consequently, despite walking away from the meeting without a ringing endorsement of my or the BOE positions, I considered the meeting a success.

In direct contrast, the personal attacks and insults publicly issued against the members of the BOE by the chairman of the Board of Finance, John Kortze, as reported in The Bee last week, are not only counterproductive but such actions should be below the dignity of any of our town’s elected officials. To publicly attack the intelligence, attentiveness, and responsibility of the members of the BOE, as Mr Kortze chose to do, demonstrates extremely poor judgment and a temperament incompatible with the position he holds.

This town deserves better.

Thomas Gissen

35 Horseshoe Ridge Road, Sandy Hook                        June 19, 2005