De Smet speaks about serving on school board

In an uncontested race this fall, Gary De Smet was selected as the school board’s newest member. A lifelong learner, De Smet has a self-described passion for education. Born and raised in San Jose, he earned both a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters Degree in Education from Stanford University but decided against an occupation in teaching when declining enrollments made it a poor career choice in 1976. But driven by his first love, De Smet returned to teaching and served in Sonoma Valley for 16 years in the following schools: Prestwood, Altimira, Adele Harrison and finally, El Verano. He retired from teaching four years ago.
Today, through his involvement on the school board,
De Smet is interested in bringing consistent success to the valley’s schools. He sees parents, students and teachers as the three legs of a stool, each working together to stand strong. “To be successful educators, we need passionate teachers, committed students and involved parents,” says De Smet. “Those three things, combined with the phenomenal members of the district and the school board should help us continue to raise the level of education in this valley.”
The four other members of the school board are Helen Marsh, Dan Gustafson, Camerino Hawing and Nicole Abaté Ducarroz.
For his part, De Smet has prepared for his new role by attending school board meetings as well as reading and studying about education. A concept that’s been discussed is a movement called restorative practice, devised in part by a former high school teacher named Ted Wachtel. According to Education World, the term restorative practice is derived from restorative justice, which gives victims a voice and provides an opportunity for offenders to develop empathy. According to Wachtel, when adapted to school settings, restorative practices help develop a more positive school culture and significantly reduce behavioral problems.
“The Sonoma Valley isn’t so different demographically from many other school districts in California,” said De Smet. “Every period has its own challenges and I believe by looking at what works in areas similar to our own, we can effect positive change for our schools. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. We just need to reach out to these schools and find out what is working and what’s not.”
In fact, a book entitled “Our School: The Inspiring Story of Two Teachers, One Big Idea and the School That Beat the Odds” by Joanne Jacobs is a case in point. Jacobs, a San Jose Mercury News editorial writer for 19 years, quit in 2001 to report and write the book, which tells the story of a San Jose charter school, Downtown College Prep, that prepares students who are “failing but not in jail” for four-year colleges.
De Smet’s take? If two teachers can turn around a school like that so, too, can Sonoma have big goals. “In Sonoma, we’ve done a lot on the nurturing side and I think that now, we need to do some study on setting limits.”
“One of the best things about this current school board is the way in which they communicate,” says De Smet. “They are able to have honest conversations and, while they might not always agree, they argue with respect and can see each other’s points. This is what we need, people who aren’t afraid to change the way things are done.”
This is good news to De Smet as, according to him, there isn’t much he can accomplish on his own. To that end, he is anxious to begin working with new superintendent, Pam Martens as well as the other employees of the school district. “I think Pam is a real straight shooter,” says De Smet. “She’s a good leader who responds well and guides the board effectively. And Louann Carlomagno is excellent as our director of curriculum and instruction. She did a magnificent job at El Verano and continues to do so in her current role. Combined with the professional expertise of Ashley Halliday in human resources and Justin Frese in finance, we have a great team.”
For De Smet, perhaps the biggest goal is extrapolating the data collected on each student, including reports cards, progress reports and individual files. Each piece represents a vast amount of data – data that can help the district improve once it’s been sorted through. Unfortunately, this process could take years before any tangible results can be seen.
“If I had the power to change three things, I’d go back to the legs on the stool,” says De Smet. “First, I’d reduce teacher stress so they’d remember what made them passionate about teaching in the first place. Next, I’d get families to work together to make good choices that encourage and value education. Lastly, I’d like to throw in some money. So many things take money and I think we need to be on the lookout for ways to channel more money into our schools through foundations, grants and other sources.”