DeSmet, Kelly square off for school board

Attorney challenging two-term incumbent|

For the first time since 2004, there will be a contested seat for the Sonoma Valley Unified School District board.

No contenders filed to run against either Nicole Ducarroz for the Dunbar attendance area seat, or against Britta Johnson for the Prestwood attendance area. But two-term boardmember Gary DeSmet will face a challenger, attorney John Kelly, for the Sassarini attendance area seat.

DeSmet grew up in the Santa Clara Valley and attended public schools. His parents were both public school teachers and his grandfather sat on the Coyote Valley School board. He earned degrees from Stanford including a master’s in education. He and his wife Vicki are long-time residents of Sonoma and their three children, two daughters and a son, are graduates of Sonoma Valley High. DeSmet was a teacher in Sonoma Valley public schools for 17 years.

Kelly was born in Santa Rosa, and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from UCLA and earned his JD (juris doctor) from UC Berkeley. He has a law practice in Sonoma, and has been a consultant on education and technology. He was a consultant with the Sonoma Valley Unified School district for 19 months and was the district’s special projects manager for four months. Kelly served on the City of Sonoma’s Community Services & Environment Commission and was chair for two years and served on the city’s Budget Advisory Committee including a year as chair. He was a volunteer with the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation and Flowery Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization.

We asked the candidates about the qualities they would bring to the school board:

Why would you make a better boardmember than your opponent?

Kelly: We have a fantastic teaching staff, engaged parents and, overall, the district is improving. But, Sassarini is struggling and ratings have plummeted.

We can’t just accept that Sassarini is failing. I bring a fresh energy, commitment, and a fundamental understanding that I see lacking.

DeSmet: I am the only board member who has been a teacher, having taught in elementary, middle school and high school classrooms. I have attended professional development trainings, I have participated in faculty meetings and I have seen various fads and initiatives come and go.

I understand what it is like to show up prepared to teach every day. I have the 10,000 hours of classroom experience, literally. I have seen first-hand the struggles that children and families living in poverty have which can make learning so much more difficult than it ever was for me or for my kids.

What do you bring to the board?

DeSmet: I have served two 4-year terms as a trustee, and have been involved in helping to shape the many strong programs that we have underway.

The board is functioning well, and we have strong relationships with each other and with (Superintendent) Louann (Carlomagno). It’s a steep learning curve, and board service is a marathon that requires disciplined work and focus over years.

Kelly: For the last four years, I’ve been very engaged in the district, and worked closely with the staff. Over this time, I’ve also built strong, trusting relationships with our teachers. I feel I have an intimate understanding of the issues, and how a stronger trustee presence can support our teachers more effectively. I’d like to develop these relationships further, in order to continue the district’s forward progress, in particular at Sassarini Elementary.

I have an intense drive, and hold myself to high expectations. Serving is genuinely about making a difference for our kids and our community, and the office is a means to that end, not the objective itself.

What is the biggest challenge facing the district?

Kelly: Our district has struggled, but is making a definite comeback – except for Sassarini. Over the last 15 years, Sassarini’s statewide ranking has gone from 7, to its current ranking of 1. Only nine third graders met the state standard in math.

We have sincerely dedicated and hard-working teachers and staff. But they need stronger support and a trustee committed to working as a team to get things back on track.

In addition to the impact on students and families, school ratings impact a community’s desirability and home values. This is a challenge that belongs to all of us, and we can address it – if we’re dedicated and work together.

DeSmet: We need to provide for students who are high achievers as well as students who are struggling, and everyone in between. This has always been the biggest challenge for districts like Sonoma, and in California, we have substantial funding challenges. However, through partnerships with the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation, we have been able to raise money for extraordinary programs like public preschool, freshmen teams, career academies and K-12 summer offerings.

How can the district solve those challenges?

DeSmet: We will never “solve” these challenges. In education, each success, determined by data analysis, is followed by another goal. We practice an ongoing commitment to continuous improvement.

Kelly: I would like to be a champion for the school, students, and teachers. I think we can do a better job of engaging parents both at home, and in the district; and that is really a job for the trustee. The teachers and staff have their priorities, but the trustees’ priorities are to go into the community, engage parents, understand issues and challenges and help foster solutions as a team. That’s what I see missing right now.

Do you support the proposed $120 million bond, and why?

Kelly: Yes, because the majority of the district’s buildings are 50 to 95 years old, and nearly $220 million worth of work is needed to bring our facilities up to current standards and to meet educational objectives.

I also support the statewide Proposition 55.

DeSmet: Yes. We began to study the possibility of a bond measure almost two years ago, and the board voted unanimously to move forward with the Measure E on the November ballot. State funds and existing property taxes are, and always have been, insufficient to fully fund public education.

In our district, we are not looking to the taxpayers for money to spend on any substantial new construction. Rather, we want to repair and upgrade existing plant systems and deteriorating classrooms.

In addition, we hope to raise money to fund technology initiatives which will prepare our students for the jobs that will be available to them when they graduate. We will also realize savings as we move toward e-books rather than paper textbooks. These are essential requirements for today’s classrooms.

Contact Bill at bill.hoban@sonomanews.com.

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