Sonoma County Office of Education Adds Assistant Superintendent for School Safety

04/25/2023 -

The Sonoma County Office of Education has hired Dr. Louis Ganzler as an assistant superintendent overseeing efforts involving school safety, community partnerships, and college and career readiness.

Ganzler, an appointee of Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Amie Carter, originally had been slated to join SCOE in May after serving as director of curriculum and instruction for Healdsburg Unified School District. But following March’s tragedy at Montgomery High, Carter and Ganzler’s district were able to move up his start date.

“We at SCOE are grateful that Healdsburg Unified worked with us to allow him to start this important work as quickly as possible after the tragic loss of a student to violence at Montgomery High,” Carter said. “Dr. Ganzler was a regular presence at Montgomery, the high school he graduated from, in the days following the tragedy. Already he has begun working with our districts and safety partners to improve communication and streamline and standardize responses and procedures for campus emergencies.”

Prior to his recent work as director of curriculum and instruction at Healdsburg Unified, Ganzler worked for more than seven years in Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District, most recently as principal at Rancho Cotate. He also spent 11 years teaching social studies and English in Windsor Unified. He has a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Ganzler is the father of two teenage boys and will be celebrating his 20th wedding anniversary this summer. He grew up in Sonoma County and attended Rincon Valley and Santa Rosa schools. He enjoys movies of all genres, and cooking for friends and family.

“It’s an honor to join the team at SCOE under the leadership of Dr. Carter,” Ganzler said. “As an educator, father, and product of Sonoma County schools, I am looking forward to assisting in the work of bringing community partners and research-based solutions to both school safety and college and career readiness.”