Dr. Pamela Mertens was named the Sonoma Valley Unified School District Superintendent. Her position begins on July 1. SUBMITTED PHOTO
On Monday, April 21, the Sonoma Valley Unified School District announced they had “enthusiastically approved” the superintendent’s contract with Pamela Martens, Ph.D. Martens has been superintendent of the Coast Unified School District in Cambria for the last 11 years and, for several of those years, principal of the award-winning Coast Union High School. Martens will start in Sonoma on July 1, following the retirement June 30 of present superintendent Barbara Young.
Young said that from her viewpoint, “she’s a perfect match for taking this district forward. She’s got years of experience, she’s worked at all levels. She speaks three languages. She has all the qualities we’re looking for in our leadership here.” Board president Camerino Hawing said Martens had impressed interviewers by her familiarity with Sonoma’s schools and administrators as well as with her accomplishments. This year, for example, the high school received Silver Medal recognition from U.S. News and World Report’s first annual list of “America’s Best High Schools.” A colleague who has worked with Martens for many years, Denis de Clercq, Facilities Director for the Coast District, said she had been instrumental in passing two school bonds, which led to new facilities for the high school and the building of their new elementary school. “When she came into the area, she stepped right in,” he said. “It took two years to build the school, and we’ve been in it for three.” He noted that getting bonds passed was not easy, but said, “I think it’s her ability to communicate with the community and forge those important ties that were important.”
Cambria, located on the central coast of California, near San Simeon, is an unincorporated town of about 6,200 people. Coast Unified has one K-5 elementary school, one 6-8 middle school, and one high school, with enrollments last year of 336, 180, and 316 students, respectively, for a total of 832 students, plus another 30 students in continuation/community day schools. By comparison, enrollment in Sonoma’s ten schools is about 4,800 students. The state revenue limit for the Coast district is, at $8,641 per student, about 39 percent higher than the $6,230 per student that Sonoma receives. The current budget crunch affecting Sonoma’s schools is not new to her, and of the challenge, she said, “We just take a look at all aspects to see how can you tighten here or there, without affecting the academics. We’ve been through that before. We’ve just been creative.”
Before making the formal offer, a group of six from Sonoma – including staff, parents, and trustee Dan Gustafson – visited Cambria last week to confirm their positive impressions. Gustafson described Cambria as a town similar to Sonoma, primarily agricultural, with a tourist emphasis. “You drive in and see cows, vineyards. It’s a tourist destination.”
There are many parallels with Sonoma, he said, including the growing population of English language learners, and Martens is accustomed to serving a community with a large percentage of English learners. Prior to her service in Cambria, she served as Assistant Superintendent of Instruction in the Ojai Unified School District, which has about 3,200 students, and in other positions also in Ventura County. She herself is proficient in Spanish, and the District’s newsletter is printed in English and Spanish as well. “It was a natural for me. From my background in Ojai/Ventura, [speaking Spanish] was always an important aspect of the work.”
“There are many parallels between Pamela and Barbara,” said Gustafson. “There’s a solidness to both of them in terms of their experience and their resolve and their dedication and we really responded to that.” In their visit to the Coast District, Sonoma’s group met with board members, teachers, classified employees and parents, all of whom praised Martens. Gustafson said people described her as supportive, compassionate, caring and efficient. They said she’s leaving the district in great shape. “I took pages of these kinds of comments,” he said, “till finally, I quit! It was a totally positive experience.” After “wave after wave” of positive comments, he said he found only one negative comment. “They didn’t want to lose her.”
Martens, herself, expressed an instant rapport with the Sonoma group. “I can’t believe the warmth of the people who came down and the connection they made with the people here,” she said. Asked why she was leaving her present post, she said, “Sometimes it’s just the timing. I stay for a long time in districts, and at some point, I need one more challenge.” She said her focus would remain on academics. “Everything nowadays with the education program is very challenging, and that’s going to be my primary focus, to continue to work with staff and parents and community to keep that going.”
She said she was sad to leave her district, but delighted and looking forward to coming to Sonoma and “becoming a strong part of the community.”
