Matawan Aberdeen Board of Education Votes to Accept Tyler Blackmore's Resignation

The Board of Education voted 5-3 with one abstention to accept the resignation of Matawan Aberdeen Middle School Principal Tyler Blackmore at their meeting Monday night.

A group of about 60 parents, teachers and students gathered at the regular action meeting in a show of support for Blackmore, who handed in a . According to Superintendent David Healy, Blackmore cited personal reasons in his letter. 

One by one parents and teachers approached the podium, pleading with the Board to reject Blackmore's resignation.

Matawan Aberdeen Middle School (MAMS) Teacher Patricia Hillyer spoke of the need for continuity in the district and painted Blackmore as a kind and effective leader.

"I've been a teacher at the middle school since 2001 and I've had 5 different principals. Tyler Blackmore has been a professional leader and we need to keep that in the district. He is a role model for students and staff alike," Hillyer said. "He talks with the students and not down to them and he is never sarcastic with them. He treats them exactly the way I want my own children to be treated, respected and valued."

MAMS Teacher Christina Fiorilli, who has taught under three different administrators in her five years in the district, echoed the same sentiment.

"When Tyler Blackmore goes, so will his vision," she said, emphasizing the negative impact his departure has on the students and also the school's moral. "Without a leader, how can we follow?"

The mother of a seventh grader also spoke, expressing her frustration about what she feels is a high turnover rate in the district.

"It's very unsettling, the amount of change and inconsistency with leadership in our schools," she said. "It really makes me question the commitment of this board, as well as the senior administration here, the commitment they have to the children and to the parents of the district. I have a real sense of uneasiness that we've lost our way here and the children are not at the center of decision making."

All who spoke on behalf of Blackmore ended the same way, imploring the Board to do everything in their power to have him remain principal at MAMS.

"I am pleading with the district to please keep this man," PTO member Tara Martinez said. "There really is nobody better and I do not think we will find anybody better. If we already have it, we need to keep it."

Board Member Anissa Esposito moved to have Blackmore's resignation removed from the rest of the personnel agenda, allowing the item to be voted on separately.

Board of Education President Charles Kenny motioned to vote on the item, and after a long pause Board Member Patricia Phillips seconded his motion. Business Administrator James Strimple then called each board member by name so they could cast their vote.

The crowd reacted with each vote, standing to applaud those who rejected his resignation and mumbling in disbelief at those to voted to accept it.

In the end, Kenny, Patricia Phillips, Gerald Donaghue, Elizabeth Hayward and Todd Larchuk voted to accept Blackmore's resignation. Ken Aitken, Anissa Esposito and Jeff Delaney voted to reject it. Dennis Daniels abstained.

"Motion passes," Strimple said after the roll call.

A feeling of sadness and frustration fell over the crowd, with many grabbing their jackets and leaving before the meeting was adjourned.

Board Member Ken Aitken said after the meeting that if the motion was not passed, Blackmore would have had the choice to reconsider his resignation and withdrawal his letter.

"I have children in the school and I feel that we're better off with Mr. Blackmore than we are with him resigning," Aitken said. "I think we're better off with him here."

Blackmore was not present at the meeting. After two years in the district, his term as principal of Matawan Aberdeen Middle School will come to an end on June 30, 2012.