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She is running against fellow Republicans Jerry Pia and Jon Hoch, and Democrats Dolores Burgess and Polly Ruah for three available seats. Two Republicans have to be voted on to the board.
Olson, 58, is a married mother of three daughters who hwas born and raised in the city, and works as a school nurse. The former parent-teacher organization member also helps the Parent Leadership Teaching Institute, and has helped at the hospice and rape crisis center. In her free time she enjoys working with children, and shopping on QVC. Olson also loves holidays and has many holiday sweaters for each.
What are the biggest issues facing the schools right now? One of the biggest issues is the need to fix up the school buildings and receiving more money from the city for its capital budget, Olson said. She said that while the board has been fiscally responsible in presenting its budget, the schools can no longer take temporary, cheap fixes.
“The Band- Aids just aren’t sticking anymore,” Olson said. She specifically brought up the mold at Toquam Magnet Elementary School, the roof caving in at Dolan Middle School, and the many schools that are using portable buildings.
She feels the city will give the schools the funding they need to fix up the buildings if the case is made for them.
Other issues facing the school is getting everyone to buy in and participate in the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, and getting the board to work together, Olson said.
What were your biggest achievements on the board? As a board, she feels the biggest decision made was to hire Dr. Winifred Hamilton as superintendent — she described it as a major challenge and “difficult process.” Olson said the board picked the right person because Hamilton has a good sense of the community.
On a personal level, her biggest success has been helping make Stamford one of the most compliant districts in the state when it comes to the registration process, Olson said.
She began working towards helping get kids registered her first day on the board.
She said that getting kids and families the information they need was a long process. She said she she worked with different pediatricians to help offer free physicals and other services. It took three years to get the district in compliance. Are the schools headed in the right or wrong direction? With the addition of the Common Core State Standards, Olson said she believes the schools are headed in the right direction because the standards will help people take ownership of their schools. She said right now the magnet schools have that feeling, and she hopes the other schools will adopt the standards.
She feels the board needs to help schools adapt to their individual populations by getting more aids who speak Spanish and getting more special education help at some schools.
“We need to meet the needs of those populations,” Olson said.
What would you do to involve your constituents in your decision-making process? Olson said that, being a school nurse, she is always willing to help whoever needs it and thinks others see that and know she is not on the board to be a politician, but to help children. She added that she tries to weigh both sides of every decision and votes for what she believes.
“I am just one of nine and we have to all try and be on board with things,” Olson said.
Why should people vote for you? Olson believes she has done a good job in her first term and tries to vote for what parents want. She also said that being a school nurse gives her a unique perspective on the students.
“I really get to hear the kids when they don’t think I am listening,” Olson said.
She also said that she is a hometown girl and a “cheerleader for Stamford.”
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