Mark Millennial was recently elected to the Nutmeg Board of Education. More than ten years younger than any of the other Board members, Mark brings a new approach to Board service. His presence on social media is far more extensive than any of the other Board members. Mark is constantly tweeting out about the doings of the Nutmeg Public Schools, and his Facebook page has become a virtual meeting place for debate about the challenges facing the Nutmeg Public Schools.
With the coming of the budget season, Mark went into high gear. His Facebook page reads: “Mark Millennial, Member of the Nutmeg Board of Education: I want to hear from YOU!!” and every three days Mark posts information about school spending, followed by a question about the related expenditure of Board funds.
For example, last week Mark posted a chart setting out school spending on high school athletics, broken down by sport, followed by the question, “Is Nutmeg meeting its obligations under Title IX?” Many residents posted comments in response to this question, some to the effect that girls sports are being neglected, while others claimed that boys’ sports have suffered with ill-advised reallocations to girls’ sports. Mark was delighted that his Facebook page was getting such traction, and he commented back on every single comment that his followers posted.
As can happen, a skunk then spoiled the garden party. Al Angry, a local gadfly, got into the discussion with rude and highly critical posts that took issue with every comment Mark made on his Facebook page. “What do you know, Mark Millennial,” Al posted rhetorically, “about spending...
