Jennifer Martucci responds to Huff attack

Joplin R-8 School Board candidate Jennifer Martucci wasted no time responding to the scathing personal attack launched against her by Superintendent C. J. Huff on Facebook Saturday night.

In his attack, Huff took an e-mail sent to him by Martucci two years ago and attempted to portray her as someone who does not care about all kids.

This is her response, which was posted on Huff's Facebook this morning:

Dr. Huff has chosen to publicly share portions of an email I sent directly to him over two years ago. Contrary to what Dr. Huff says, this was a private, confidential email sent solely to him and not the Board of Education as a whole. 

Dr. Huff has taken portions of that email out of context. Worse yet, he has done so solely for personal reasons. I am sure other parents find it uncomfortable that Dr. Huff is willing to publish private parent emails to the public, while at the same time conducting school business behind close doors in violation of the Sunshine Law. 

Even more troubling, Dr. Huff has waited for over two years to publish the email at a time when it serves his political purposes. As a parent I am shocked a school official would share a private email about her child. These are the type of problems that need to be corrected in our school district and why I am running for the Board. Parent concerns about their child’s education should be private. School board meetings should be public.

Because Dr. Huff has quoted portions of the email out of context, let me add the rest of the story. I would have welcomed the opportunity to explain where that email was coming from at the time it was written-- or even now -- but he never asked me. So let me explain it now.

Seven years ago when my oldest daughter was in fourth grade at Cecil Floyd, I was delivering her to Memorial Middle School for her Gifted Program day. As I was approaching the school to drop her off, I saw police officers running up the street with rifles drawn and a group of officers tackling a student just outside the school. I did not stop to drop her off. I kept driving and called her teacher to find out what was going on. I was told there was a gunman in the building with shots fired --to take my daughter home. Had I arrived even 2 minutes earlier, my daughter would have been walking right past the gunman and who knows what may have been the end result. 

The bravery that Principal Dr. Steve Gilbreth showed that day meant everything to me. Dr. Gilbreth stood boldly in front of the boy with the gun to protect students. The boy pulled the trigger only to have his gun jam, thankfully. Dr. Gilbreth never waivered, risking his own life for the sake of the students. He earned my respect and my trust that day. As a parent, I found it much easier to send my kids to school knowing they were going to a school that had Dr. Gilbreth to watch over them.

Skip ahead to two years ago when the district administration decided to redistrict our school to a different middle school. I had a 5th grade child at the time who would be immediately effected by the decision. By the time the parents at our school were notified of this decision, it was already done before the school board had even voted on it. There were no means of advocacy with the administration or the board.

When a group of parents attempted to speak up and ask for a voice in making these decisions that directly affected our children, the group was completely shut down. We were not allowed to be involved in any part of the process. The email, to which Dr. Huff refers, was born out of emotions and disappointment in the fact that Dr. Gilbreth—whom we trusted with our children’s safety and education -- was being taken away from us without our input. 

As we continued to voice our opposition to the process, we were cast as troublemakers when we simply wanted to advocate for our own children. I was not the only parent who opposed the redistricting, I was one, however, who offered another solution to show that perhaps there were some other options that could be considered. 

All members of the school board, with the exception of one, would not accept our phone calls or allow us to be part of the process. I can honestly say, two years later, that I was completely wrong about the misconceptions I had about North Middle School. I will and have publicly apologized for the comments that I made during that highly emotional time. I wrote the email as a concerned mother. I am sure everyone has at some time in their life written or said things out of pure emotion that they immediately wish they could take back. That is how I felt about that email the next morning and after I had already hit send.

Dr. Huff has used his school district Facebook page in recent days purely for political purposes and to try to influence an election. This is not the job of a superintendent. I feel it is inappropriate for a superintendent to use social media to lobby his position about who should be elected to a Board that he is accountable to. I understand Dr. Huff is probably upset by the fact that I ranked him a 5 out of 10 at the public forum, but I had to be honest with the public. My ranking Dr. Huff a 5, while it came from the heart, was not just my opinion. That ranking was consistent with the ranking the school board gave Dr. Huff during his most recent evaluation, and is consistent with the State Auditor’s report. The State Auditor gave the District a “fair” rating. Considering the only lower ranking would have been a “poor” rating, and there were two higher rankings, namely “good” and “excellent.” A “fair” ranking is equivalent to a 5 out of 10.

Now, let me address Dr. Huff’s question: “How would you govern as a member of the Joplin School Board of Education on behalf of the 7,576 children we currently serve when you refuse to “mix” your own children with the kids from the north side of town?” Obviously I do “mix” (as Dr. Huff affectionately phrases it) my children with all other kids in the district. Kids from North, South and East are all friends with my children, and have been welcome guests in my home. My children play sports side by side with children from all over Joplin. North has a team of amazing educators and students – on that Dr. Huff and I do agree. Educators want the change I will bring, and have endorsed me as their school board candidate. But to answer the question – How do I “mix” my kids if elected to the Board? I will make sure all kids have equal opportunities at their schools by actually supporting teachers and insisting on improving academics, and keeping administrators in Joplin rather than travelling around the country lecturing about their successes. I will do what Dr. Huff has not given other parents the ability to do – advocate for their children. I will make financial stability a priority if elected - something our current board has lost sight of.

To the public, it is my wish that you consider the words and actions that I have consistently used in the last few months - not the spin placed on them by someone who is most directly affected by the upcoming election. To those who truly know me, have known me for years, or have taken the time to get know me over the last few months, you know that I care for every child in the Joplin School District and will advocate for every one of them equally. If anyone has further questions or would like further clarification feel free to call me at 483-8104 or email me at martucci4schoolboard@gmail.com.

Respectfully,

Jennifer Martucci