Meet Sal Chavez, new president of the Sonoma Valley school board

Sal Chavez is the new president of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees. Chavez, 30, has served on the board since being appointed in 2011 and was elected for another term in 2014. We asked him about the future of Sonoma Valley schools – and what educational issues keep him up at night.

What has surprised you most about serving on the school board?

I think the biggest surprise has been how many moving pieces there are in the running of a school district. Every school here is different in terms of its needs, and addressing all these diverse needs is challenging.

What are you most proud of in the work of the district?

I’m really proud of the district and the board’s ability to quickly focus on issues as they come up. (Superintendent) Louann (Carlomagno) is so on top of everything. The reality is that some issues are going to be quick fixes and some are going to take longer to resolve, but we don’t sweep anything under the carpet. We take everything we address seriously. We take our open door policy seriously. I am also very proud of how innovative we are and how committed we are to staying ahead of the curve.

How, specifically, is the district being innovative?

Two specific areas in which we are being innovative are technology and our furniture pilot. Also, we have made great strides in improving our summer learning options which supplement our efforts with our reading, math and language gap. Preschool-for-all is another way to mitigate those same learning gaps.  

What is your favorite part of the board meetings?

Our students are our customers so I always love when they come to speak. At the January meeting, we had students come talk about the new PLUS social-emotional program at the high school. I am a sucker for the “Students of the Year” presentations because these kids set the bar high and their strengths show the results of the district’s work.

I also am really excited about the facilities updates. It is frustrating when projects get postponed or we need to change our plans but I am excited for what lies ahead because Sonoma Valley deserves better. I can say that because I graduated in 2004 and there have been few changes to our school campuses since then.

What are some areas in which the district could improve?

I always think that we can improve on parent engagement. That may never change and we are constantly addressing it because there is no easy fix. Our attention to our under-performing English language learners, and when and how they get reclassified, and ensuring their success is amongst many things that are crucial. It is important that we get this Latino population on the right road to success. Crucial because that is such a diverse task that needs a great deal of resources. Also our special ed program is something that we will continually improve on.  

As a parent, what changes would you like to see 5 or 10 years out, when your kids are in the Valley schools?

I hope we can be responsive to what the job world demands. That our students are prepared when they graduate high school to pursue a career. We do such a great job with the college piece – but what about the students who choose not to go to college? How do we make sure that they are prepared for the world? In the future, I think this responsibility will rest largely with our high schools, not universities.

What in education keeps you up at night?

I think a lot about how we address the concept of being bi-cultural, not just bi-lingual. I would love to see an ethnic studies class at the high school because I think it will specifically help with segregation and racism. Once you learn about someone else’s culture you become more empathetic. I think we can tackle racism largely that way.

But overall, I really enjoy serving on the board. I feel like we have a very functional board with a very diverse backgrounds. I would love to see more Latinos on the board but the trustees are very empathetic to everything that is going on and addressing the needs of the community.

Sal Chavez was born and raised in Sonoma Valley. He graduated from Sonoma Valley High School in 2004 and received a B.A. in economics from Sonoma State University. Today, he owns Picazo Café. He is married to Kina Chavez and they have a young son, Salvador III, and a baby due this spring.