Sonoma County's schools chief won't seek re-election
Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Carl Wong says he won't seek re-election.
Published: Sunday, December 20, 2009 at 2:40 p.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, December 20, 2009 at 2:40 p.m.
Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Carl Wong will not seek a third term.
Wong,
“I think it's healthy for the county to always have, in an elected office, a new person coming in. I think it's wonderful that Sonoma County retains the right to elect a superintendent,” he said. “It's really been a joy to have that privilege, but I have arrived at the conclusion that now is right time.”
The position, which oversees 71,000 students in 40 school districts in the county, pays about $165,000 a year. One of the biggest challenges has been to work with individual districts in meeting the state's stringent budget requirements at a time of shrinking revenue.
Windsor Superintendent Steve Herrington announced Nov. 19 he intends to contend for the office. At the time of Herrington's announcement, Wong was undecided about running again and speculation had ramped up since about his intentions.
Potential contenders can pull election papers signaling an intent to run beginning Jan. 4, but the nomination period doesn't formally open until Feb. 15. If Wong does not file campaign documents to run, the deadline in the race is extended from March 12 to March 17.
Wong took office in 2003 after defeating Clancey Forest-Knowles and ran unopposed in 2006.
That county's array of diverse school districts makes the job challenging but also one of the draws, Wong said.
“You have 200 elected board members and 40 separate districts, all of which have the right to govern and set their priorities,” he said. “I like to think that I have built, over the last seven years, the consensus and capacity of the K-12 system to do more things.”
Wong has remained committed to closing the achievement gap between Latino students and their white peers, as well as assisting cash-strapped districts navigate unprecedented budgetary times, said Joe Carnation, superintendent of the 270-student Geyserville school district.
“He has been very, very supportive and an advocate for the Aiming High program ... a program designed to try to close the gap,” Carnation said. “It's not something he committed to and forgot.”
Wong has pressed smaller districts to cooperate with services, such as transportation, construction and calendars, to save money and avoid redundancy, Carnation said.
He has been able to get district leaders to “put aside some of their sacred cows to work this thing out,” he said.
The county office has offered support to districts struggling to maintain a budget that stays in the black three years into the future, administrators said.
That support has helped Healdsburg emerge from a negative declaration on its budget to an improved qualified status, said Superintendent Jeff Harding.
“We feel we are in this together,” he said. “We review our budget year with them, and we submit reports each year that they review. If we need advice or suggestions, I would certainly call the county office.”
“These are unprecedented times,” Harding said. “The county office becomes a support for those districts that are facing the most severe financial situations.”
Santa Rosa Superintendent Sharon Liddell credited Wong with taking both the challenges and successes of area schools to an audience outside of education circles, such as business and civic leaders.
She said his successor must do the same.
“Since we are such a diverse county, that means being in rural districts as well as the urban districts, so there is a really good understanding of what students need, and schools need, all over the county,” she said. “It is a person that needs to be out in the community and aware of all of the resources in the community and the needs of the students.”
Wong began his career in education in 1972 as a math and industrial arts teacher before becoming an administrator. He spent six years as superintendent of Petaluma schools before becoming county schools chief.
In his nearly 40 years, Wong has never taken a sick day, he said.
“It will be big shoes to fill,” Carnation said. “Carl has really done an outstanding job in providing outstanding leadership for all of the schools in the county.”
Staff writer Kerry Benefield writes an education blog at extracredit.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. She can be reached at 526-8671 or kerry.benefield@pressdemocrat.com.
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