Tamaques Parents Launch Online Petition for Kravetsky

The grassroots campaign to save Tamaques School third grade teacher Matthew Kravetsky has taken to the internet, with parents launching an online petition in a hope to save the teacher.

The petition, which had over 140 signatures as of late Monday evening, contains comments from signatories attesting to Kravetsky's teaching ability and urging the Board of Education to reconsider the decision to dismiss the popular teacher. Kravetsky has been informed by district officials that his contract would not be renewed at the end of the school year. If his contract was renewed, Kravetsky would have been granted tenure by the school system.

Kravetsky's case came to light last week, when Tamaques parents Danielle Bracco and Jennifer Silva spoke to the BOE asking them to save Kravetsky. Citing state employment privacy laws, BOE members and Schools Superintendent Margaret Dolan remained silent on the matter. BOE members and Dolan cannot speak publicly on the matter unless they are granted permission by Kravetsky, who has not spoken publicly about the matter. The reasons for Kravetsky's contract not being renewed by the BOE have not been publicly disclosed by either side.

Officials with the Westfield Education Association, which represents teachers in employment cases, declined to discuss the Kravetsky situation, citing privacy laws.

Since Bracco and Silva's comments to the BOE last Tuesday, Kravetsky's case has gained a following in the Tamaques community and in other schools. A letter writing campaign has sent dozens of emails to Dolan and BOE members, along with the formation of the online petition. There are reports that parents are planning to speak at the BOE's May 25 meeting to lobby the board to retain Kravetsky. There are also unconfirmed reports that Tamaques teachers are planning to submit a petition of their own in support of Kravetsky.

Comments in the online petition mimic comments made by Bracco and Sasha last week and in letters to the editor. The comments note Kravetsky's teaching ability and willingness to help out in the community. The comments also note Kravetsky's popularity among studens at Tamaques.