Notes from the Sonoma Valley school board president

I love my job! I've been at it since 2004, so I'm now starting my 12th year.

I see my job, as a Sonoma Valley Unified school board trustee, representing 11 schools and more than 4,300 students, as a way to invest in education because I believe the children are our future. And I hope to help make an already great school district even greater.

A great school district implies that it is not only a great educational experience for the students, but also a great place for employees to work as well.

The school board's job is to set policy, vision, goals, hire and evaluate the superintendent, adopt and oversee the $40 million budget, and all of this must be conducted in a public meeting (thus our board meetings, with strict guidelines on how the meeting must take place).

In addition to monthly board meetings and special committee meetings (curriculum, nutrition, facilities, etc) board trustees attend school functions: back to school nights, plays, open houses and more. As a group of five, we try to divide and conquer.

I believe in life-long learning and I want to be a better trustee and so I am constantly reading books that lend insight into what makes a great school (and district) great. My past and again recent favorite is 'Good to Great and the Social Sectors: Why business thinking is not the answer' by Jim Collins.

He summarizes greatness into five issues that form his framework.

1. What makes an organization great?

The book focuses on why some institutions/businesses are mediocre, and others are great and it gives an interesting framework in looking at a school district. Taking a leadership stand and setting best practices is something our district does well.

Our schools are visited by other schools because they like what they see and our results, and our employees are being recognized as leaders in their fields.

• Superintendent Louann Carlomagno was invited to speak with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. She continually strives to be better by asking for feedback from students, parents and community, through anonymous surveys.

• Cody Williams, food services manager, a classically trained CIA chef, serves on several statewide panels aimed at revolutionizing the food our children eat in school.

• Felicia Rush, SVHS 'change agent' and our sustainable agriculture academy's lead teacher, is helping other schools across the state start their own ag academies through her involvement with the National Academy Foundation.

2. Leadership: Getting things done

Being a great leader doesn't mean inflicting one's own will and abusing 'power' but learning 'the power of inclusion, the power of language, the power of shared interests and the power of coalition.' Collins writes that the best leaders:

• are ambitious first and foremost for the cause, the movement, the mission, the work and not for themselves.

• have a combination of personal humility and professional will in creating legitimacy and influence.

• make sure the right decisions happen, no matter how difficult or painful, for the long-term greatness of the institution and the achievement of its mission, independent of consensus or popularity.

3. Getting the right people on the bus

Attracting the right people, not by money alone, but by our mission and passion, is key.

4. Rethinking the economic engine without a profit motive

• Passion – understanding what your organization stands for (its core values) and why it exists (its mission)

• Best at – Understanding what your organization can uniquely contribute to the people it touches, better than any other organization on the planet.

• Resource Engine – Understanding what best drives your resource engine, broken into three parts: time, money, and brand

5. Building momentum by building the brand

Louann's motto is 'We're better together.' People want to be a part of something that works. 'Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline.

'Every institution has its unique set of irrational and difficult constraints, yet some make a leap while others facing the same challenges do not. This is perhaps the single most important point in all of 'Good to Great.' Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline.

When all is said and done, I'm most proud of the commitment and work ethic of our district. My original campaign platform, 'Children First,' is echoed by the board trustees, the district office, the extraordinary staff and faculty, volunteers, and student leaders at each and every school, without exception. This is why I can honestly say, I love my job and We're Better Together!'

Nicole Abate Ducarroz is president of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District's board of trustees.