School board listens and responds

At a closed meeting last Saturday morning, the school board revisited its decision earlier in the year to support the request of outgoing Superintendent Barbara Young to replace Sonoma Valley High School Principal Micaela Philpot. When Philpot had announced her resignation two weeks ago, the general reaction among parents and staff was shock and disbelief.
The Sonoma Valley High School Boosters Club, which had funded all high school sports and extracurricular activities for the last three years while the school district wrestled with its finances, voted to ask the school board to direct Young to keep Philpot in place. And at the public school board meeting on March 11, over 50 people crowded the room and dozens spoke, expressing respect for the board, for Young herself and for Philpot, but dismay at the process, which left them in the dark, asking, “Why?”
Some suggested that the board must have made their decision on information that was incomplete. Some implored the board to reinstate Philpot. One speaker, Laura Kracke, said the issue had brought her to a school board meeting for the very first time, to protest the board’s decision.
Apparently, the trustees heard the message. In a press release following the Saturday meeting, board president Cam Hawing announced:
We concur that it would be appropriate for the new superintendent to evaluate conditions at the high school and take appropriate action. Therefore, the superintendent is withdrawing acceptance of Micaela Philpot’s resignation.
Upon hearing the news that the board had reconsidered, Kracke was elated. “It’s awesome,” she said. “I just feel like the little people made a difference. I’m just so proud of all the people who spoke, and of Micaela and this is really a great feeling.”
Philpot, following the decision, said it takes good people “to listen to dissent and to change their minds.” She thanked the community for raising their concerns “in a way that left room for forgiveness,” adding that she felt her reinstatement provides a new opportunity to work together. “My staff and I are ready to roll up our sleeves and work together to make the high school the best it can be,” she said. “I couldn’t ask for a better community to do it in.”
Young said, “The board has been very inclusive working with me, and I completely support their decision.” Hawing expressed satisfaction that the community and the board had been able to work together, and that now they need to focus on the priorities to come. “We have a very good system in place,” he said. “I think the board and the community work hard, with the strategic plan, with all these committees, to have a strong district and a strong teaching system for our kids. Now, we need to be focusing on the superintendent search, and the budget.”