When A Bridge Is Silent, The Serfs Stay In The Shadows

“Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear.” - Thomas Jefferson

I start this article with that quote for this reason.  Back on December 16 of 2025 I was at a school committee meeting and saw the first signs of a fractured committee on the basis of public outreach.  A majority of the committee here in Falmouth seemed to think that being elected to the school board meant the elimination of engaging the public on major decisions.

It's true that in our constitutional republic, our system requires us to pick representatives across many levels of government, with routine elections and short terms allowing us to correct course often when we feel that the representation fails to live up to our expectations.  With that said I bring you back to the Jefferson quote.  While his message was meant for all of us it is especially important for our elected officials to keep this in mind.  

When a member of the public attends a town meeting, or in the case of the personal experience I had, a public-school committee meeting, anyone who wishes to speak freely is given 2 minutes with which to do so.  As this is protected free speech there is little that can be done to interfere provided you don't violate some obvious rules, (no violence or throwing things etc. for example).  

The issue is that 2 minutes is not a lot of time and, at least in my own personal experience, reading a script that has been designed to be delivered in less than 2 minutes doesn't hit quite as genuinely as speaking freely does.  

However, I figured I'd give it a shot relative to my feelings on what I've seen from our local school committee here in Falmouth these last few months.  Therefore, I delivered the following message during my 2 minutes on February 10, 2026:

"There are few issues that unite people when it comes to politics, from the highest levels of the federal government to the lowest levels of local elected office.  However, one of the easiest uniting issues with the public at large is transparency.  Even a common goal of wanting to educate our children properly has its differences as to how that can best be achieved based on various approaches supported overall by one side or another.

On January 9, The Falmouth Enterprise published an article about this committee violating the open meeting law.  However, just 4 days later, in the last meeting on January 13 there was essentially an argument between members of this committee about going into executive session, likely unnecessarily and potentially illegally, again.

It seems some members of this committee, including those with many years on it, learned nothing from this article, and apparently are used to a status quo in which the public is on a need to know basis determined by committee members whom apparently are not used to an informed and engaged public and who therefore do not seem to think they, as elected officials, are accountable to that public.  One member of this committee, and not one you'd expect given recent controversial events, even stated that this committee currently has "poor functionality", as well as the obvious failure of public transparency which made the Enterprise article necessary in the first place.

It is my hope, for the sake of our children, parents, teachers, schools, and even this committee itself, that these recent controversial events are opening everyone's eyes and with any luck, exposing the importance of not only the responsibility of this committee and the officials with which it deals to better engage the public at large, but also to showcase the responsibility the public has at staying informed and engaged in the matters with which we elect you to address.  Hopefully, we start to see some new faces on this committee in the coming years.  Thank you." - Brandon Edsall

Now let's circle back to the reason for title of this article and the point of my use of Thomas Jeffersons quote.  During this school committee meeting back on February 10 there was actually some very good presentations given to the committee and any members of the public in attendance or watching online as the public meetings are broadcast live.  The problem was there were no questions from the committee.  With the public unable to do so itself during meetings that quote popped into my head.  Question with boldness, let me explain.

While the blizzard of 2026 had not yet hit us there was some snow on the ground and one innovative idea that one of the schools had was to take the elementary kids outside to do art projects in the snow among other similar things.  Given the low temperatures they limited the program to only a short time but everyone in attendance, myself included, thought it was a good idea and enjoyed the presentation.  I snuck a question in, (which apparently is against the rules), about how much of the class time was being used to go outside for this and got an adequate answer.  The committee praised the program, as the rest of us did, but had no follow up questions, only praise for the program.

However, there was another presentation and the lack of questions regarding this next program from the committee provided the inspiration for the title of this post.  One of the concerns Falmouth has, as well as other local school systems, (Mashpee for example), is the declining enrollment in the schools themselves.

There are many factors for this of course, such as Massachusetts high cost of living driving middle class families with children to other states.  More directly though, we have to tech schools, upper and lower cape, where trades are taught in a biweekly schedule with academics.  The availability, through school choice, (which I am fully in favor of), to attend the tech schools has caused many Falmouth students to choose not to attend the local high school.

School funding is in part tied to the number of children attending the schools.  What this means is that the more children from Falmouth that choose to attend the tech schools, the more Falmouth has to contribute to the funding of those trade schools to the detriment of the towns funding of its own school system.

The presentation I alluded to from the school committee meeting regarded one program where I think the local high school is in fact competing well with the tech schools.  It is a business/marketing program about financial literacy.  The program was presented by the Volunteer In Public service program, (VIPS).

I have long been an advocate for the reality that children need to learn basic finance, especially as they get into their teenage years.  Nothing fancy, but the basic information regarding things such as balancing a checkbook, paying bills and especially loans on time, and in general building a healthy credit profile as they approach adulthood.  The financial literacy program seems to focus on that type of education so what's the problem?

"When a bridge is silent, the serfs stay in the shadows"

At the end of the presentation one of the VIPS representatives said, "interest exceeds capacity", in regard to the financial literacy program.  She then went on to say to the school committee, "any questions?"

I just about leaped out of my chair when the school committee just sat there with absolutely nothing to ask.  I said, "I have one", but was told by the chair of the school committee that the public is not allowed to ask questions.  I respected decorum but couldn't believe that on a 9-person committee, not to mention a DEIB representative, (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging), more on that in a future post perhaps, no one had any questions just basic praise for the program.

If the school committee is supposed to be a bridge between the public and the school system, then it is their responsibility to ask questions on behalf of the public which as I pointed out, I was not allowed to do when they didn't.  My obvious question, had I been given the opportunity to ask would have been this.

Since we all seem to agree that this program sounds exciting and necessary, not to mention the kids are excited to join the program then what is being done to address the problem of interest exceeding capacity?

That would have been my question, and it was so sad to see a committee of 9 members, a superintendent of schools, and a DEI representative miss the opportunity to ask such a question.  My experience cemented a decision I was already considering.

If the only way to ask important questions is to get a seat on an otherwise dysfunctional school committee, then so be it.  

2 weeks later I filed papers to officially run for the school committee as a candidate.  This current school committee isn't a bridge connecting information to the public.  It is a castle keeping the drawbridge up to hide and disconnect as much as possible from the public interest at large.

I suppose my initial message for the public regarding my decision to run for the committee myself is simply this, it is time to lower the bridge and storm the castle.  Let the fun begin.