Charter School principal announces July departure

Nora Flood, principal of the Sonoma Charter School, will resign at the end of the school year to join her husband and dog in Colorado. The move is not completely unexpected. Her husband had accepted a position in May as research director for Colorado Children’s Campaign, but she could not abandon her school obligations to move with him at that time. “We had the new playground going up and we’re up for renewal of our charter, so nobody would take my job. They couldn’t pay enough!” she said, laughing, and explained that she and her husband had agreed to “give it six months” and if his job was the “greatest thing since sliced bread” she’d join him; if not, he’d come back here.
Fortunately for her husband, the job is working out, so, after four years here, “Yes, I’m leaving in July.” Her tone suggests mixed emotions. “I love what I do,” she said, “and I think it’s apparent that I really like to be here.” The charter school is to her a source of enthusiasm and even wonder. “This is one of the most loving, caring, supportive communities I’ve ever been involved in. The teachers are fabulous, the office staff is fabulous. The kids respond so well. There’s a culture here. Our motto is Truth, Growth and Respect. And I think the school really lives that motto. Every day, it’s just a joy to come to school.”
The charter school is a part of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District. It is a free school and the enrollment is limited. Kids are admitted not by grades but by lottery. “So we have East Side kids who are having overnights with Boyes Hot Springs kids and Agua Caliente kids; so it’s really a very, very diverse population because it’s a Valley-wide school.”
Flood is highly regarded, and when asked whether her loss will be a shock to the school, she was philosophical. “It was a great school when I came, it’s a great school now, and it’ll be a great school after I leave,” she said. “No organization, school or otherwise, should ever be person-dependent. And I think I would have done them a great disservice if it had become a person-dependent school, and it’s not. It’s a great school. This school is going to be a driving force in this community for years to come.”