Tamaques Parents Lobby BOE to Save Third Grade Teacher

Parents at Tamaques School are lobbying the Board of Education to save the job of a popular third grade teacher whose contract is not being renewed.

Two parents came before the board on Tuesday evening regarding the non-renewal of Matthew Kravetsky. Parents Danielle Bracco and Jennifer Silva said they were there on behalf of multiple parent who were upset by the school district's decision to not retain Kravetsky.

"Many of the parents in the Tamaques area are very upset," said Bracco, the co-vice president of the school's Parent Teacher Organization.

Bracco and Silva told the board that Kravetsky has been a talented teacher who has worked hard for the children in the class. They noted that many students remembered him after he finished being their teacher and wanted to continue in his classes. Bracco noted that her son cried when he finished the school year with Kravetsky.

"He is truly one of those unforgettable teachers," Bracco said. "Losing him would be a huge loss to the school."

Silva told the board that she does not believe there is a fiscal reason to not renew Kravetsky, noting the school is losing three teachers to retirement this year. The Board of Education has approved 31 staff layoffs district wide following Gov. Chris Christie's decision to slash $4.22 million in state aid from the Westfield public schools. During an interview with Patch, Bracco and Silva said they were not given a reason on why Kravetsky is not being retained.

"Tamaques School is losing enough and Matt Kravetsky should not be another loss," Silva said to the board. "You ask any child in the school their top three teachers and he will be on the list."

Bracco and Silva said their decision to discuss the matter with the board is the beginning of a parent generated campaign to have the school district reverse the decision on Kravetsky. They said a letter writing and email campaign is in the works and the first emails were due to arrive in board members' inboxes on Wednesday.

Board members sat silent during Bracco and Silva's speeches. BOE President Julia Walker said the board could not address the issue due to a state law making personnel matters private. Only Kravetsky could allow for the board to address the matter in public session. Officials with the Westfield Education Association also declined to discuss the issue, citing privacy reasons.