The world is moving at a pace our school boards aren’t keeping up with. While we debate which party controls our Board of Education, America has fallen globally in math and reading standards. While we import federal political battles into local school board meetings, 20% of our teens struggle with mental health disorders. While we vote party lines without thinking, we’re preparing students for jobs that won’t exist.
And here’s what we’ve lost in the noise: our neighbors. Our shared commitment. Our ability to see past the letter next to someone’s name and ask the only question that matters—is this good for our children?
I’ve served on Ridgefield’s Board of Education. I’ve sat through budget meetings where party affiliation mattered more than outcomes and policy debates where ideology overshadowed evidence.
The Decision Fatigue Crisis
We are exhausted. Bombarded by information, polarized by algorithms, drowning in a 24/7 news cycle that profits from our outrage. We doom-scroll through problems we feel powerless to solve. We retreat into social media anonymity where cruelty feels consequence-free and nuance dies in 200+ characters.
Decision fatigue is real. When everything feels existential, we stop thinking critically. We default to shortcuts—party affiliation being the easiest. Democrat or Republican. Red or blue. Us or them.
Here’s what terrifies me: Our children are learning from us. They’re watching how we treat neighbors who disagree. They’re absorbing our quick judgments, our tribal loyalties, our willingness to dehumanize people because of political beliefs.
If we can’t model better behavior at the school board level—where we’re supposedly united by commitment to their future—what hope do they have of navigating the more complex political landscape ahead?
What Independent Thinking Actually Means
I’m running as an Independent because I refuse to outsource my thinking to party leadership.
Independent thinking means asking “Does this work?” before asking “Who proposed this?” It means building coalitions around outcomes, not ideology. Changing your mind when data contradicts assumptions. Prioritizing students over political positioning.
When was the last time you evaluated a school board candidate based on their understanding of workforce readiness in an AI-driven economy? Evidence-based mental health strategies? Budget efficiency and outcome measurement?
Instead, we ask: What party? Who endorsed them?
There’s a reason partisan politics thrives in opacity. When you don’t measure outcomes, you can claim anything. When you don’t explain your votes, party affiliation becomes the only information voters have.
This is why I’m committed to radical transparency: public dashboards showing student outcomes, clear explanations for every vote, regular office hours for parent questions.
When you shine light on outcomes, party affiliation loses its power. Either the program improves student achievement or it doesn’t. The data doesn’t care which party you belong to.
We Are Still Neighbors
I chair youth committees and serve on boards with people who voted differently than I did. I work with neighbors who disagree with me about federal policy. And we get things done. Because when you’re focused on making Ridgefield better, political affiliation becomes irrelevant.
I’ve seen what happens when we remember we’re neighbors first. When we prioritize children over party. When we measure success by outcomes, not ideology. We build better schools, create stronger communities, and model for our children what democracy actually looks like.
Ridgefield stands at a crossroads. We can continue importing federal battles into local school board races, treating every election like a proxy war, demanding ideological purity over competence.
Or we can wake up.
We can recognize that educating children in a rapidly changing world requires expertise, not just party loyalty. We can demand transparency and accountability regardless of which party is in power. We can remember that children in Ridgefield classrooms don’t care about our political affiliation. They care whether we’re preparing them for the future, supporting their mental health, recognizing their unique gifts, and measuring results.
What I’m Asking For
I’m asking you to be brave enough to think independently. To evaluate candidates on merit, not party. To model for your children what thoughtful civic engagement looks like.
I’m asking you to remember that we’re neighbors. That we share a community. That we all want our children to thrive, even if we disagree about how to get there.
Our children are competing in a global economy we’re barely preparing them for. They’re navigating a technological revolution we don’t fully understand. They need school board members with expertise in organizational development and strategic planning. Leaders who measure outcomes, not just good intentions. Adults willing to make difficult decisions based on data, not ideology.
They need us to be better than the political moment we’re living in.
The question is: Are we capable of it?
Right now, Ridgefield’s children are watching. And they’re learning whether we care more about winning political battles or building their future.
Let’s show them we still know the difference.
Divya Dorairajan is an Independent candidate for Ridgefield Board of Education and former BOE member who served on the budget and policy committees
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