Government & Politics
Theresa Vogt: Here’s How the New Partisan Behavior on the Board of Ed Can Hurt Darien Education
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During a contentious Representative Town Meeting discussion Monday night, RTM Member Theresa Vogt’s comments criticizing partisanship on the Board of Education was ruled out of order by the moderator, Seth Morton, for bringing partisanship into the RTM and for not being close enough to the topic (the budget). Vogt and others, including David Bayne, who is both an RTM member and the chairman of the Democratic Town Committee, didn’t sway Morton, so Vogt didn’t get to read her entire comment, the end of which addressed actions on the Board of Finance. Others in the meeting made much shorter versions of similar comments. Since it appeared that she had prepared her remarks beforehand, and since her arguments competently address an important topic, Darienite.com was able to ask her for it, and here it is:
Theresa Vogt, District 6. I am the vice chair of the Education Committee. My comments tonight are not on the behalf of the Education Committee. I would like to discuss partisan behavior, the lack of transparency, and the behind the scenes communications of certain Board of Ed members, as well as public comments that I found condescending toward the school administration and Darien taxpayers made by the chair of the Board of Finance.