Greenwich CT - BORED Of Education
Who are these people anyway ?
Dr. Mercanti-Anthony’s response to this debacle has been as predictable as it is ironic. On October 21, 2024, Democrats staged what Republicans have unabashedly called a "coup." That infamous “emergency meeting” has since spiraled into lawsuits, accusations of betrayal, and more finger-pointing than an episode of Survivor.
After calling out DTC Chair Christina Downey for “distorting facts” in an op-ed, Mercanti-Anthony insists the problem was not Republican intransigence but Democratic overreach. In a tone that suggests wounded pride rather than righteous indignation, he claimed that Democrats’ appointment of Ms. Behette—an unpalatable candidate for Republicans—was a deliberate provocation, akin to putting a fox in charge of the henhouse.
Mercanti-Anthony’s insistence that Republicans were willing to “compromise” is the kind of spin that political operatives perfect after years of practice. He conveniently leaves out that this so-called compromise amounted to “anyone but Behette.” In other words, the Republicans were open to any candidate—as long as they weren’t aligned with the Democrats. Sigh.
First Selectman Fred Camillo, never one to shy away from dramatic declarations, doubled down on his claims of a Democratic “coup.” Camillo’s tirade at the October 21 meeting was a masterclass in indignation, accusing the Democrats of flouting bylaws, ignoring state law, and staging a power grab.
The Democrats, for their part in a decision to call an emergency meeting under dubious circumstances—one so flimsy that even the Freedom of Information Commission (FOIC) isn’t rushing to back them—has all the hallmarks of a calculated power play.
And the Democrats defense that appointing Ms. Behette was about “serving the community” rings hollow. If bipartisanship truly mattered to the Democrats, they might have considered a candidate who could at least get a nod of approval from across the aisle. Instead, they doubled down, ensuring maximum friction while claiming the moral high ground.
Lost in this circus is the actual purpose of the Board of Education: to oversee schools and improve educational outcomes. Instead, the BOE is paralyzed by lawsuits and political gamesmanship. With the budget process looming, it’s hard to see how a board embroiled in legal disputes can focus on making decisions that benefit students.
The Democrats accuse Camillo of waging an expensive legal war to force through a Republican-friendly candidate. Camillo counters by pointing to the Democrats’ brazen disregard for precedent and process. Both sides have a point—and neither is willing to concede it.
As for Mercanti-Anthony, his performance as the principled, frustrated moderate would be more convincing if it weren’t so transparently self-serving.
As of late the lions share of educational institutions in America - Greenwich being no exception - have become factories for cultivating ideology antithetical to the American ethos and these political detours of infighting are just further evidence that power and position are the focal point rather than attending the business of nurturing the communities youth with American values, decorum and integrity. To the point, children learn by example.
The Greenwich BOE controversy is not about education, fairness, or even good governance. It’s about power—who wields it, who keeps it, and who loses it. And as is so often the case, the real losers are the people caught in the middle—taxpayers, parents, and, most tragically, the students.