School Board Trustee Troy Knox steps down to take a job with the School District

In a Press Release today, the Sonoma Valley Unified School District has announced the selection of Troy Knox as the new Director of Special Education, effective August 1, 2024. Mr. Knox has over 25 years of leadership experience with the Napa Valley Unified School District and until recently served as a trustee for the Sonoma Valley Unified School District.

With a diverse background in education, Mr. Knox held various positions, including elementary classroom teacher, high school dean of students, and elementary principal at multiple schools. As a principal, Mr. Knox facilitated the development of specialized programs on his campuses, including functional skills classes for students with exceptional needs as well as special education preschool classes.

Mr. Knox is knowledgeable about special education services and programs and fully understands the strengths and growth areas for the Special Education Department in Sonoma Valley Unified School District. He advocates for inclusive learning environments for all students and holds the belief that all students are considered general education students first. In his new role, Mr. Knox will oversee the development of a continuum of services for students with specialized needs with a focus on literacy, support ongoing training and coaching for both general education and special education teachers, and ensure compliance with special education mandated monitoring activities at the state and federal level.

Actively engaged in education policy, Mr. Knox serves on the statewide legislative policy committee for the Association of California School Administrators. He holds a master’s degree in education from Chapman University. In his free time, he enjoys working at the Tex Juen Vineyard with members of the Sonoma Home Winemakers. He also loves listening to live music at the Sonoma Plaza with his wife Sarah, his daughter Lindsay, and his son Matteo.

In his own words, Mr. Knox expressed his enthusiasm for being selected to this new leadership role: “I am honored to join a dedicated team that is committed to improving educational outcomes for all students.”

Sonoma Valley Unified School Superintendent, Dr. Jeanette Rodriguez-Chien was able to serve on the final interview panel for Mr. Knox. Dr. Chien stated, “ we are pleased that Mr. Knox made the decision to continue to contribute to the success of our students in this new capacity. Mr. Knox is committed to serving our students with disabilities and has a strong sense of the challenges and opportunities we have to improve our special education program and services. As a principal he also has a strong foundation in the Multi Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework that we need to fully implement in our general education program as well.”