Meeting with Dr. Jason Sutter, the new Superintendent of Sonoma Valley Unified School District (SVUSD) the morning of Graduation Day, May 29, Anna Pier asked about his first months on the job, and his vision for leading the District.
You started here March 1? Yes. On the one hand, it’s felt really quick; on the other, it’s been a long three months. I have met with all our administrators and many of our community partners. I also had the opportunity to visit every classroom in the District.
Impressions? There is amazing instruction happening in our schools. We also have some room to grow, but our strength is our caring staff.
What will you say at the graduation ceremony? I won’t be speaking at graduation. The speakers will be the class officers, the valedictorian, the salutatorian, and the principal, Molly Kiss. I am looking forward to shaking hands with each graduate. This class has special meaning for me. Some of these students were part of my final class at Prestwood. I got to watch them grow from kindergarten through fifth grade, so seeing them graduate now means a lot to me. I have also coached some of the graduates over the years, including members of this year’s High School Varsity Girls Soccer team. And my daughter is graduating with this class, my fourth and last child.
And during these three months you also completed your doctorate? I just received my Ed.D., Doctor in Education, from San Francisco State University on May 9. I worked on a doctorate in education, rather than a Ph.D., because I wanted my studies to help me with the real-world work of running a school district. My dissertation focuses on hiring practices and how schools can better ensure that students see themselves reflected in their teachers. Right now, the diversity of most school staff doesn’t match the diversity of our students, and that has real impacts on student outcomes. I wanted to better understand how systems can change hiring practices to foster stronger connections and a sense of belonging for students.
How does a school District change its hiring practices? Like any system, hiring practices can always be improved. We look at where we’re recruiting, how we’re interviewing, and whether there are barriers we may not even realize exist. The goal isn’t to hire someone because of who they are. The goal is to make sure we’re finding the best possible educators and giving every qualified candidate a fair shot.
The District announced new changes at the middle school for next year. Yes, Altimira is officially renamed Sonoma Valley Middle School for the 2026-’27 school year. This month, the SVUSD board adopted that name after polling students and teachers. We are working on rebranding this summer with a new logo, new fonts, and signage. Sonoma Valley Middle School will keep its current mascot, the Wolves.
With the addition of the new MacArthur Park charter school, about half of the elementary students in the District will attend charters. I think it’s positive when families have choices. Charter schools operate independently, but we do have a financial and education oversight role. We’ll partner with the charters where it’s appropriate, but our focus will be on the students at El Verano, Sassarini, and Flowery. We want those schools to be places where students experience connection, challenge, and joy every day.
Can you comment on the performance metrics on state tests? There are a lot of factors that go into state test results, and those scores don’t tell the whole story of a school district. At the same time, we know our students are capable of achieving at much higher levels, and we have a responsibility to help them get there. When our scores are not where we want them to be, I don’t blame our teachers. Our teachers are working incredibly hard for our students every day. I see our scores as a reflection of leadership and our systems. It is the job of leadership to create a system that aligns all our efforts so that each year of school builds on the last and prepares students for the next.
Expound on what you mean by ‘leadership’. It begins with the Board of Trustees being really clear about our priorities. We scheduled a governance meeting with the Trustees to review information from my site visits and help them establish priorities. The Board decided on 1) literacy – which is at the basis of all learning; 2) chronic absenteeism – no one is learning if they are not in school; and 3) building trust – the work of schools is built on trusting relationships. These three priorities are what the Board will use to evaluate my work as Superintendent.
Now what? Now it’s time to work with our sites to move forward. The top-down approach has never worked. Our results are so much better when we work together as a team. We have recently hired Dr. Esmeralda Sanchez Moseley as the Associate Superintendent of Educational Services. Esmeralda is a former principal of Flowery Elementary, and she and I worked together in Petaluma City Schools. We are working on developing a plan to engage everyone in realizing the three priorities.
Our teachers and staff are deeply invested in this work. Teachers, aides, cooks, principals, bus drivers, and so many others show up every day with heart for our students. That is why this cannot just be a District office plan. Moving forward has to be something we build together.
A school district is a complex organization, and trust matters. I have to trust the professionalism of our staff, listen to their experience, and honor the work they are already doing. At the same time, we have to keep asking how we can get better. To me, that is the balance: believing in our people, respecting their work, and building a system that helps all of us improve together.
More about the Board? This Board’s work over the past three months has been remarkable. In addition to their three regular monthly meetings, since I have been here they have met for five study sessions to work on all this. You do not see that type of work ethic on many other Boards.
As a boy what did you want to be? I was raised in the Santa Cruz mountains and went to Los Gatos High. I know that in high school I wanted to be a photographer, like for National Geographic. I wanted to travel and take pictures. I graduated from Sonoma State with a B.A. in English. At first, I thought I wanted to be a high school English teacher, but then I decided to get my multiple-subject credential, and I taught fifth grade and K-1 in Napa. I got my administrative credential, and my first principal job was at McNear Elementary in Petaluma (2009-2013). Then I was principal here at Prestwood (2013-2019). My next move was to the Petaluma City School District Office, where I was a Director, then an Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources (2019-2026).
Do you still enjoy photography? Or any other hobbies or pastimes? I enjoy spending time outdoors, especially walking and hiking with my wife. I also love backpacking with my daughters whenever we have the chance. I play soccer in a men’s league. I also enjoy golfing with my son, brothers, and dad.
More about your coaching here in the Valley? I’ve coached many teams over the years. My son’s baseball teams for eight years, my daughters’ softball teams for five years, and soccer for twelve years.
Any last comments? I’m grateful to be back serving this community. I care a lot about the people here, and I care a lot about our schools. There is a lot of good work already happening, and I’m looking forward to working with our staff, families, students, Board, and community partners to keep building on that together.
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