Two vie for El Verano school board seat

Cathy Coleman and Omar Paz, Jr. offer their visions for the Sonoma Valley Unified School District.|

Two candidates for the Sonoma Valley Unified School District board of trustees will face off on the Nov. 6 ballot for the seat being vacated by outgoing trustee Sal Chavez, who elected not to run for a second term.

The winner will represent the El Verano attendance district, an area with a sizable Hispanic population, encompassing neighborhoods from Boyes Springs to Diamond A.

The winning candidate will join trustees representing Dunbar, Flowery, Sassarini and Prestwood attendance areas in steering the district further toward its goal of providing a quality '21st-century education' to students across the Valley, while navigating some rocky personnel and financial waters that last year saw changes at leadership positions across the district and a stern warning from the County Office of Education about SVUSD's fiscal solvency.

In addition to Chavez, longtime trustee Dan Gustafson also decided not to seek re-election in his Flowery attendance district; former Dunbar Elementary School principal Melanie Blake was the only candidate to file for the Flowery seat, and thus will assume that position on the board.

Here's a look at candidates Cathy Coleman and Omar Paz, Jr., as they square off to represent El Verano on the board of trustees.

Cathy Coleman, 66, says she holds a PhD in east-west psychology and brought her two children up through Sonoma's public school system. Though her children are grown, she followed last year's developments at SVUSD with interest as an 'avid newspaper reader,' and is hopeful that the district is on the right course.

'I'm hoping all the changes in leadership is something the district got right, but it isn't time-tested, for sure,' Coleman said. 'There is a willingness to experiment with different things (at SVUSD), like the charter schools, the new furniture at Dunbar, and the dual-language program at Flowery.'

Coleman feels teacher salaries are a distinct problem, and would like to see that issue addressed. 'Education in general is hard because of limited resources, and a lot of other extraneous things that create challenges,' said Coleman. 'Like testing, and educating for testing, and discipline and the resources needed for difficult kids. There are issues inherent to the system that create challenges. But low teacher salaries are just wrong, really.'

If Coleman is elected as a trustee, she says her decisions will be guided by what's best for the students. 'Education should facilitate the development of the unfolding whole child. That includes a strong academic education, critical, higher-ordered thinking, physical as well as mental development, and expressive arts,' said Coleman.

She said she believes in 'a holistic education that builds self-confidence, encourages enthusiasm for learning, engages the imagination, develops good citizens, and fosters the unfolding of a child's unique interests and talents.'

As to how she'll execute her goals should she be elected, Coleman said, 'The biggest thing is to be informed, read the paperwork, listen to the constituents in order to make informed decisions about things that are really on the table, and not get caught up in things that aren't in our purview,' Coleman said. 'It's important... to understand the role of superintendent and the role of the school board, and not get lost in the weeds or micromanage.'

Coleman describes her management experience as 'vast,' noting she also worked in human resources and higher education.

'I know how to work with people,' she said. 'I'm a trained mediator, and have a strong track record of being interested in youth and children.'

Also vying for the El Verano seat is Omar Paz, Jr. Paz, 25, double-majored in Latin American studies and sociology at UC Santa Cruz, earning a bachelor's degree in 2017. He has served as a student trustee on the Santa Rosa Junior College board, was president of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges, chaired a subcommittee with the Sonoma County Community and Local Law Enforcement Task Force (aka the 'Andy Lopez Task Force'), and was even student body president at SVHS in 2011. He is currently a part-time immigration efforts coordinator at La Luz Center.

Paz is a passionate protector of minority populations. 'I believe education is and should remain a right for our children and community across all demographics,' he said. 'I believe in an equity approach that meets students of different backgrounds at their level while fostering growth, whether they be low-income, immigrant household, gender non-conforming, special needs, or from other marginalized backgrounds.'

As part of that, he said a priority would be to support faculty and administrators with the resources, training and support they need to 'bridge the access and achievement gaps students from protected classes face.'

One of nine siblings from a large, blended, immigrant family, Paz feels well-positioned to speak for the marginalized. 'As a child of a low-income, separated-parent, immigrant household and first generation college student, I know how crucial a role access to resources and educators who are sensitive to the diverse needs of the community play.'

Paz is committed to helping improve SVUSD, starting with increased support for its Latino students and families. But he doesn't plan to be a single-issue trustee.

'Fiscal stability will require meeting the community and translating the numbers into values and providing meaningful direction for where to invest,' said Paz. 'Educators are doing more with less, often on their own dime.'

Paz said he sees the role of trustee as ' a facilitator for the community's voice, values, and vision.'

'We should do more listening and learning, with public listening sessions, forums and surveys,' said Paz. 'Social media, emails, and calls need to be at a parent's fingertips so that they are not intimidated by an agendized meeting, but rather empowered to use their voice to guide the board.'

Contact Kate at kate.williams@sonomanews.com

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