Chuck Young selected as Interim Superintendent of Schools

Chuck Young, Sonoma resident and former UCLA Chancellor, has been selected by the Sonoma Valley Unified School District School Board to serve as Interim Superintendent of the District, effective upon ratification of his contract by the Board on July 10, 2017. He replaces Louann Carlomagno, who resigned on June 6, with her resignation effective June 30.

The School Board voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Young at a June 29 meeting. During his yearlong tenure, a search will be undertaken for a permanent Superintendent.

At the June 29 meeting, Board President Dan Gustafson described the challenges the Board had faced, given the short time frame, and given that few candidates for such positions were still available for the coming year. As such, Dr. Young’s willingness to step in was met with relief and enthusiasm by the board.

During public comments, some District parents expressed frustration that they only heard about the meeting at the last minute through word of mouth. The District made no robo-calls or emails to parents, as they usually do, and there were no public announcement. Nonetheless the room was full and several parents spoke about priorities they would like to see the new Superintendent and Board address in the coming year, including problems with Special Education, the need for a parent group at the high school, and the problem of kids being moved on without having mastered the material. There was also a question about what was meant by the goal of “fixing the Board,” repeated by several trustees as the first order of business for Dr. Young.

Trustee John Kelly was the first to speak following Mr. Gustafson’s announcement about Chuck Young’s selection. He gave an enthusiastic and unequivocal endorsement, which served to quell any concerns about Dr. Young’s recent comments to the press about Mr. Kelly’s purported role in Ms. Carlomagno’s resignation. Another trustee confirmed that Dr. Young had said that his comments to the press were behind him and he would be objective. The other trustees followed with endorsements and their commitment to working together.

The search committee for the Interim Superintendent consisted of Mr. Gustafson; Trustee Sal Chavez, who was seen as bringing an important perspective from the Latino community; and Loyal Carlon, longtime head of Human Resources for the District, who had stepped into the Superintendent role temporarily, until a more long-term interim could be found.

Dr. Young and his wife moved to Sonoma in 2010, and he soon became involved with District schools, joining the Board of the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation in 2012. In that role, Dr. Young supported and helped shape initiatives such as preschool for all, increased focus on English language learners, improved reading at the elementary level, and career and college readiness upon graduation from Sonoma Valley High School.

Dr. Young served as UCLA Chancellor from 1968 through 1997, and currently holds the titles of UCLA Chancellor Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Public Policy. As Chancellor, Dr. Young’s inaugural pledge was to advance UCLA “from the second-level of good universities to the first rank of excellent universities.” Under his leadership, UCLA did, indeed, move into the elite company of the nation’s finest research universities.

During his twenty-nine years as Chancellor, Dr. Young made UCLA a partner with the Los Angeles area, emphasizing the University’s key position in community service and development by involvement in all aspects of the cultural, business, and educational aspects of this community, including championing efforts to reform K-12 education in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Dr. Young is internationally recognized as a leader of higher education, is a former chairman of the Association of American Universities, and has served on several national and international educational commissions.

During the School Board’s discussion of Dr. Young on June 29, Trustee Nicole Abate Ducarroz pointed out that his tenure at UCLA included a big jump in the university’s diversity from 12% to 54%, the expansion of women’s sports even before it was a requirement, and the creation of Ethnic Studies at a time when it was controversial to bring up.