SVUSD trustees deal with tough issues, dress code, test scores

Why punish the good to protect them from the bad? How can numbers alone define the quality of a child’s education? These questions and more were mulled Tues. night at the regular monthly meeting of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District.
Raised in the public comment section, the dress code issue came first. Adele Harrison student  James Witous addressed the trustees in clear tones, acknowledging the administration’s intent to make the campus safe for students, but objecting to a ban of what, after all, he said, are our nation’s colors. “So one day, a few friends and I decided to work up a petition,” he said. “We got 280 signatures.” He said a model for their protest was the way people spoke up last year over the firing of Micaela Philpot. “It was great when…people voiced their opinion,” he said, ”and that’s what we want to do, and ask that this be put on the agenda.” He sat down to rousing applause.
Trustee Dan Gustafson introduced the next speaker, Jette Franks, saying, “If anyone can follow that act, it’s you.” Franks acknowledged the power of the young speaker, and then objected to the code on the grounds that it punishes the majority to control the minority. “I still don’t get it,” she said. “If I have a child that misbehaves, I punish her; I don’t punish her brother. I don’t think it works.”
Several students agreed. Madeline Cline, a member of the Adele Harrison leadership program, said, “I think it’s wrong that people can’t wear … our nation’s colors.”  Her friend, Leanne Woods, said, “We have a problem and have to find a way to solve it, but banning red and blue is not the way.”
Dave Pier, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley, defended the code. “What it does do is send a message we’re not going to tolerate gangs.” Kevin Jaggie, a father of two children in El Verano Elementary School, also supported the dress code. “I agree with all the things that have been said, but if the board doesn’t come up and do something differently, the same thing’s going to keep happening.”
Better communication would help, commented Andrea Foreman. “I think it would be prudent to let the public know who made the decision, what were the facts the decision were based on, whether a color ban did reduce violence, what is the objective of the ban, and how will that be measured. I think a lot of people will feel better knowing that there were that evaluation going on.”
Superintendent Pam Martens explained her rationale for the code in an interview at the start of the school year. “Sonoma is a wonderful town,” she had said, “but we do have some challenges.” These may not always be obvious.  “Sometimes it’s hard for people to see, even if they’re right in the middle of it. We have a number of identified gang members in the town and this is the time to get a handle on it.”
Martens said she had dealt with gang issues in her previous district, in Cambria. “When I first went to Cambria, [the gang problem] was in evidence. By taking control of the colors and gang-looking attire – signs, bandanas, numbers – the issue quieted down for several years.” Then the issue re-surfaced about a year and a half ago, she said, and the district held forums and put the controls back. “Some objected, but the majority saw we were trying to improve safety on campus.” Martens said the controls work to discourage some from joining gangs in that it decreases the allure. “It definitely decreased the intimidation factor and made it a more comfortable setting to be in.” Her one regret, she said, is that they were not able to give parents more advance notice.
After speakers had voiced their opinions before the board, Martens addressed their concerns. “We need to look carefully at the process,” she said. “We need to listen to people, and as much as possible get advance notice out.  We’re going to work on that.”
Next, Louann Carlomagno presented the STAR test scores with the caveat that they are just raw data. “It’s a much bigger picture,” she said, “this is just one piece of it.” The chart below shows how Sonoma Valley schools are measuring up numerically, but, as trustee Nicole Abate Ducarroz said, “This is one tenth of the whole piece of the puzzle. I think it gives the wrong impression for people who are looking at schools by their test scores.” Trustee Helen Marsh said, “I think the best antidote is to go out and visit one of these schools.”