Sonoma School District's Ducarroz, Chavez to iron out superintendent contract

Teachers overwhelmingly against hiring Socorro Shiels, former Santa Rosa superintendent|

School trustees Nicole Ducarroz and Sal Chavez have been appointed to negotiate a new contract with Socorro Shiels, the embattled nominee for the superintendent’s position at the Sonoma Valley Unified School District.

Ducarroz and Chavez were named to an ad hoc committee during a special school board meeting Friday morning.

The school board was supposed to vote on hiring Shiels and on her proposed contract at its last meeting on April 17. But after listening to 25 minutes of comments critical of Shiels as the district’s choice to replace Louann Carlmagno, who resigned last June, the board announced that it was postponing the vote on Shiels and her contract until its May 8 meeting.

School board president Britta Johnson said, “the board will keep the public fully apprised of developments in this area at the next regularly scheduled board meeting on May 8.”

The board caught plenty of flak for the proposed contract that would have paid Shiels $225,000 a year, given her a $400 a month car allowance, $10,000 tuition reimbursement to get her doctoral degree and a COLA, a cost of living adjustment. The $225,000 would have made Shiels the highest paid school superintendent in the county – by a good margin, and would have paid her more than the $217,000 the county superintendent of education makes.

Shiels was formerly the Santa Rosa City Schools superintendent. She left that position in 2016 after being the superintendent for three-and-a-half years.

During a public comment during the April 17 meeting, after making the announcement, Shiels had a number of defenders, but an equal number of detractors.

Monday, the Valley of the Moon Teachers Association delivered another broadside at the board’s choice for superintendent.

Union president Renea Magnani polled the teachers late last week, and as of 9 a.m. Monday, an overwhelming majority of the teachers opposed Shiels’ hiring.

According to the survey, of 123 teachers who responded, 113, or 92 percent, opposed her hiring; eight, or 6.5 percent, had no opinion; and two, or 1.6 percent supported hiring Shiels.

In the April 24 letter to the district, Magnani cited concerns over, “The negative experiences and comments from employees of the previous district (Santa Rosa) where she worked, especially her lack of support for teachers and staff and her top down leadership style.

Magnani’s letter cited multiple criticisms from survey respondents who had worked under Shiels in Santa Rosa, mostly citing her alleged poor relationship with educators.

Magnani also cited the terms and benefit package of the proposed contract, saying they “are considered by many to be exorbitant, insulting to the dedicated teachers and staff, and inconsiderate of the financial situation facing the District.”

And she said, “the process seemed rushed, lacked transparency, proper consultation and collaboration with administrators, teachers and staff, and a proper review of her previous experience as superintendent.”

In conclusion, Magnani urged the board, “... please show us you value us. Do not hire Socorro Shiels as the next Superintendent for SVUSD. A new search is critically warranted.”

Email Bill at bill.hoban@sonomanews.com.

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