Shedding some light on Sidney Freund's abrupt resignation as Greenwich's Superintendent of Schools

I previously reported that both Stamford and Greenwich are finding it harder and harder to find competent administrators to run their respective Boards of Education--let alone retain them. ( Click here to see my recent blog on Major, Global, National and Local Stories of the first Six Months of 2011).

The dust is beginning to settle in Greenwich after the shocking and sudden (to most people)  May, 2011 resignation of short term Superintendent Sidney Freund; he served just short of two years into his 3 year contract and was reportedly in negotiations to renew his contract for the next 3 years. This competent administrator, who served a 6 year stint as Superintendent of Schools in Dobbs Ferry, has been relatively close- mouthed about the reasons for his decision.

A recent public meeting of the Board of Education was held and  tearful, emotional parents pleaded for Dr. Freund to rescind his decision-- all to no avail.  Some board members left their podium seats to hug Dr. Freund confessing and apologizing for their shortcomings.   (It was reported that Congressman Himes also met with him privately-- to no avail.) So, it seems that Greenwich is doomed to find its 5th candidate after the last fruitless 10 years.

Why is he leaving?

On one side, angry citizens are blaming two members of the 8 member Board of Education for making Dr. Freund's life unbearable. Its seems that hundreds if not thousands of (their) emails have been unanswered.

The rhetoric of disappointment, rage, anger and resentments has heated up the once, perhaps, civil discourse into an intolerable level-- where Dr. Freund and the Board were at cross purposes; instead of functioning harmoniously, the Board was itself divided into  'warring' groups.

Thanks to a reasoned column by Publisher Jack Moffly in the July issue of Greenwich Magazine, some measure of sanity and clarity may be brought to the extreme almost chaotic atmosphere that has been brewing for such a long period of time.

Here's a brief summary of  Moffly's research: The issue, it seems, revolved around the implementation of Dr. Freund's beloved International Baccalaureate (IB) program. into the Western Middle School (WMS) and into the High School. Two board members Marianna Ponns Cohen and Peter Scher had discovered that Dr. Freund had forged ahead with implementing the program into WMS and the 9th and 10th grades of the High School without formally getting the Board's approval or airing out the program in a public forum as was required.

It was discovered that Freund and BOE Chairman Steve Anderson had "pledged significant funds for teacher training, additional staff and teaching materials."

When confronted by repeated requests by Cohen and Scher to substantiate Board approval, Freund, according to Moffly, simply ignored them; this inaction merely placed more fuel on the fire and made these two whistle blowers 'scapegoats' for public ire.  In Moffley's opinion, Freund  "appeared unaccustomed to having his judgment challenged or to accepting the need to be accountable to the public and all members of the Board."

You may read Jack Moffly's comments "Behind the Freund Resignation" by clicking here.

I wish to thank the Greenwich Citizen, the Greenwich Post and the Greenwich Times (along with Jack Moffly)  for their in depth coverage of this story.