Submitted by Alex Quintana, Greenwich
As a Growth product leader, I’ve built my career running experiments to improve user experiences. Years ago at Priceline, we launched a bold redesign—internally beloved, but ultimately rejected by our customers. So we listened, learned, and adapted. That’s what good teams do: test, respond to feedback, and move forward with better ideas.
In Greenwich, we’re at a similar inflection point after years of a Board of Estimate & Taxation (BET) led experiment tightening school budgets. And we’ve seen the results: talented teachers leaving, programs cut, aging buildings like Central Middle School and North Mianus pushed past the breaking point (literally), and beloved schools like Riverside overcrowded. The message from teachers and families has been consistent—we’re at our limit.
Like my team at Priceline years ago, the BET has a choice. I’m advocating that they listen to their constituents, learn from this experience and invest in our schools. This year’s Board of Ed budget is a thoughtful response to rising transportation costs, expiring federal grants, and contractual wage increases. It was passed with bipartisan support (a 7-1 vote!), because it reflects real needs.
Greenwich Schools operate an incredibly efficient district, with our total spend per in-district student growing slower than inflation despite less efficient infrastructure and a significantly larger population of high needs students. Without proper investment, we risk falling into a negative spiral as teachers leave, kids’ education suffers from reduced resources and parents grow frustrated.
In a town known for excellence our schools risk becoming “mediocre”. Yet this is a choice, if we embrace a growth mindset, acknowledge that the old assumptions no longer hold, and move forward with investment, we can reverse this trend and our excellent schools can continue to thrive.
After all, the co-founder of Priceline—a $152 billion company—was a Greenwich High School graduate. That’s what happens when we invest in our schools. Let’s keep building that kind of future.
Alex Quintana
North Street Parent & GHS Alum
Growth Product Leader (Quizlet, Priceline, PagerDuty)