Kravetsky Granted Tenure, Submits June 2011 Tentative Resignation

Matt Kravetsky will remain with the Westfield school system for at least one more year under an agreement formalized by the Board of Education Tuesday night.

The BOE formally signed off on an agreement, which will formally award Kravetsky tenure once school starts on Sept. 2, but also accepted Kravetsky's resignation effective June 30, 2011. The plan, part of a settlement reached between the BOE and the elementary school teacher, will allow the district another year to review him before deciding whether or not to retain him permanently.

"This is the culmination of the efforts between the Board of Education and Mr. Kravetsky to arrive at a mutually agreeable method for Mr. Kravetsky to have another year of teaching in Westfield," BOE attorney Philip Stern said at the meeting.

Kravetsky, who was dismissed as a third grade teacher at Tamaques School in May, will be starting work as a second grade teacher at Franklin School next week. Under the terms of state law, he will receive tenure but in order to allow the BOE to retain a review right, Stern said Kravetsky agreed to submit an irrevocable letter of resignation effective the end of June 2011. Stern said the board will review Kravetsky as they would any other tenured teacher and the BOE can decide to rescind their acceptance of Kravetsky's resignation at any time before June 30 and retain him as a tenured teacher.

The details of Kravetsky's one-year provisional tenure had not been disclosed before Tuesday night's meeting. Kravetsky will be paid $63,118 during the course of the coming school year.

Kravetsky's dismissal following four years at Tamaques School became a cause célèbre after he decided to invoke his right to a public contest of the decision by Tamaques principal Michael Cullen, affirmed by Schools Superintendent Margaret Dolan, to terminate his employment before he received tenure. In a June 3 letter to Kravetsky, Dolan said that the popular teacher has not been renewed because he has "failed to provide consistently effective instruction for your students."

Kravetsky supporters criticized school officials for the decision, citing several years of evaluations from Cullen endorsing Kravetsky's teaching ability. The pro-Kravetsky camp also cited the final evaluation of the teacher coming after Cullen had informed him of his termination.

Kravetsky rallied several hundred supporters to his side, with over 300 parents signing an online petition on his behalf, along with strong support from teachers at Tamaques and several hundred supporting a Facebook page set up for the pro-Kravetsky movement. Kravetsky supporters jammed several BOE meetings lobbying the board to retain the teacher. At the time the board and Dolan were required to remain silent due to state law regulating personnel issues.

Kravetsky's case was headed towards a full-scale public Donaldson hearing before the BOE on July 7, before the settlement deal was reached on July 6. The hearing was expected to feature Kravetsky stating his desire to remain in Westfield with several hundred pro-Kravetsky parents and teachers expected to attand and address the board. It was not known which was the BOE way leaning if the case had gone to a full-scale hearing.

While the board agreed to the settlement agreement unanimously, BOE member Ginny Leiz said her yes vote came with several reservations.

"I am opposed to the process used to reach this agreement," Leiz said.

Specifically Leiz said she had wanted to see the due process followed and the full-scale public hearing held. In addition she said she had wanted to see the full board involved in reaching the settlement agreement.

Leiz, in brief remarks, confirmed speculation by some in the community that the BOE reached the agreement in an effort to negate the negative public relations generated during the two month long public campaign by the pro-Kravetsky faction in the community. Leiz said she was aware of the negative feelings in the Tamaques neighborhood and by others in the community towards the board, along with the concerns stressed regarding the evaluation process.

"I am voting yes, but this is my point of view," she said.

While Leiz voted yes with reservations, BOE member Mitch Slater expressed his strong support for the settlement agreement in brief remarks while casting his vote.

"I am very proud to be a part of this board and be a part of this community," he said.

Leiz and Slater were the only BOE members to elaborate on their votes.

Stern explained to the BOE that the decision to retain Kravetsky with tenure, but accept his future resignation is common in districts that want to have another year to evaluate a teacher before the final decision to grant lifelong tenure.

"The Board of Education and Mr. Kravetsky were looking for some way to achieve that balance," he said.