Laura Kostin

Recent Posts

Cappiali Appears Briefly as BOE Panelist; Demoted to Attendee over Republican Objections

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During public comment GEA president Lil Perrone said she was very disappointed with recent events. “I’m personally tired of hearing about ‘the will of the people.’…At our town hall your actions, words and the decisions you are making are hurting our students and our staff. Staff morale is down. This is part of it. You need to get your house in order and start making decisions that are best. Let our Board of Education do their job. Let our teachers who are educators do their job. People who know nothing about education need to stay in their lane.” Continue Reading →

Filed under: Schools, Board of Education, Dr. Michael-Joseph Mercanti-Anthony, Greenwich Public Schools, Greenwich Together, Jen Behette, Karen Hirsh, Kathleen Stowe

BOE Vote to Ratify Earlier Vote on New Member, Jen Behette

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“The rationale for ratifying this vote is there has been some confusion from the public in the past days. We followed all board procedure and this is the policy of the board. And this is also the legal obligation of the board that this is how we fill the vacancy.” – Sophie Koven Continue Reading →

Filed under: Schools, Greenwich Board of Education, Greenwich Public Schools, Jen Behette, Karen Hirsh, Kathleen Stowe, Laura Kostin, Sophie Koven

Emergency Greenwich Board of Education Meeting Ushers in 8th Member

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“I know you have the votes because there’s four of you and three of us, but in a small town, bi-partisan system like us, this is not how it’s supposed to work. This is a level of parliamentarian moves worthy of Mitch McConnell. Just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should.” – Dr. Michael-Joseph Mercanti-Anthony Continue Reading →

Filed under: Government, Schools, Board of Education, Board of Selectmen, Cody Kittle, Dr. Michael-Joseph Mercanti-Anthony, Fred Camillo, Jen Behette

Feedback to BOE: School Safety, Foreign Language Cuts, Class Sizes, GHS School Spirit, Loss of Flex Time, Traffic at Dismissal

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“Is all that lost school community, all those extra cars on the road, all those students who can’t meet with teachers, really worth an extra two minutes of class time?” – Hadrian Nobay, GHS class of 2026 Continue Reading →

Filed under: Schools, Alexandra Stevens, Brent Reeves, Central Middle School, Dr. Toni Jones, flex time, Greenwich High School, Hadrian Nobay

BOE Recap: Representation on Havemeyer Committee, Cell Phone Policy, Super’s Salary Increase

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At Thursday’s meeting, the BOE voted 5-1 to approve a 2% raise for Schools Chief Jones. Acting chair Hirsh discussed next steps in filling the vacancy on the board. Dr. Jones said there were strong community concerns about traffic given the upcoming 18-month North St Bridge replacement project. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Schools, Board of Education, cell phones in schools, Central Middle School, Cody Kittle, Dr. Toni Jones, Karen Hirsh, Karen Kowalski

Camillo Eager to Move School Administration to Privately Owned Office Space Rental; Issue RFP for Repurposing Historic Havemeyer Building

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“Has any work been done to see the true cost of repairs, bringing the building up to code and ADA compliant? It is a gem of a space. There’s so many ways we can use that space to share with members of the community.” – Karen Hirsh Continue Reading →

Filed under: Government, Schools, 1892, 290 Greenwich Ave, Andy Duus, Board of Education, Cody Kittle, Dr. Toni Jones

Group Demands Greenwich Schools Do More about Antisemitism

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Following the recent news of a antisemitic incidents in Greenwich Schools over 500 people calling themselves “Greenwich Voices Against Antisemitism” signed a letter to her on Monday urging her to do more. By Wednesday there were over 900 signatures. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Schools, antisemitism, Dr. Toni Jones, Greenwich High School, Laura Kostin, Names Day, Ralph Mayo, Thomas Pereira

CMS Building Committee Refers to RTM a Request to Replace A Member ASAP

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The vote was 7-2 on a motion that the building committee request the RTM, or RTM moderator, or the RTM Public Works Committee immediately replace Michael Spilo as the RTM representative to the committee as soon as possible.
“Attempting to remove someone you don’t like from the committee, and to do this in a submarine fashion that pops up at the last minute seems very improper and counter to Democracy.” – Michael Spilo Continue Reading →

Filed under: Government, Schools, Central Middle School, Christina Poccia, Clare Kilgallen, Clare Lawler Kilgallen, CMS building committee, Jan Kniffen