David Olson, a seasoned member of the Peninsula School District Board of Directors and candidate for Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction, joins us for our latest Newsmaker Interview. Olson brings over a decade of experience in educational leadership and a firm resolve to address significant shortcomings in the current administration under Chris Reykdal. Olson’s campaign is built on a commitment to restoring collaborative relationships between the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and local school boards, emphasizing the importance of community involvement in education.
What motivated you to run for Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and how do your personal experiences and values inform your vision for education in our state?
I have served on the Peninsula School District Board of Directors for over 10 years. During that time, I watched Chris Reykdal pit OSPI against school boards, threatening to withhold their funding if they didn’t comply with his policies. He has alienated school districts, turning them against parents as he pushes his political agendas into the classroom.
Ten years ago, academic achievement was slightly higher in all areas than it is today. Chris Reykdal has increased the OSPI staff by over 200 since he took over, yet statewide today, fewer than 50% of the students can read and write at grade level, and math is far worse. This is unacceptable!
As State Superintendent, I will partner with school boards and districts across the state rather than bully and threaten them. I will work with school districts and encourage them to reach out to parents and families—the primary stakeholders in their kids’ lives—and develop working relationships to ensure their children are in school everyday and learning.
Can you discuss the qualifications and background that make you well-suited to be the next Superintendent of Public Instruction?
As I stated above, I have served on my school board for over ten years. I have served as board president, vice president, and regular member over that time. I have served as the board’s elected Legislative Representative all 10 years, allowing me to travel to Olympia to meet with state legislators to lobby for change. I have also served as the elected WSSDA Legislative Committee Member and the WSSDA Resolutions Committee member off and on for over 10 years.
I have seen the positive impacts of the policies that I – along with my fellow school board members, district superintendent, and staff – have implemented over the years. We have brought in outdoor kindergarten at several schools to allow young children to be outside learning while they play, creating a sense of wonder and curiosity that makes them enjoy coming to school every day. I want to encourage other school districts to try unique approaches to help inspire their students to achieve at higher levels.
When I was in the military, I was a Deputy Operations Officer with three divisions and over 900 people under my charge and leadership. Although not as large as OPSI, I know how to lead large, complex organizations. If elected, I will bring in highly qualified and trusted advisors to thoroughly review the organization to identify and eliminate wasted resources. I will also request the Washington State Auditor to perform a full audit of OSPI – every line item to ensure there has been no fraud, waste, or abuse.
If elected, what are the top three goals you aim to accomplish, and how do you plan to achieve them?
- I will use my bully pulpit to push the state to meet its constitutional duty, according to Article IX, to fully fund our public education system. The current funding model is broken and inequitable. I will work with the state legislature and Governor to reevaluate and reprioritize state education funding to ensure it is focused on what’s best for kids rather than political games.
- I will use that bully pulpit to urge the state to fund special education fully. Currently, special education funding is the single largest financial drain on our public schools and is the singular reason for the many school districts in financial distress across the state. Although the McCleary Decision was supposed to resolve the problem, it made it far worse. Although technically illegal, most school districts use local levies to fund special education. This will change under my leadership!
- Chronic absenteeism across the state is at an all-time high. I will work with the school board and districts to develop model policies to establish working relationships with parents to help identify the root causes of absenteeism. In my school district, we strongly encourage parent involvement, which is why the Peninsula School District has the lowest absenteeism rate in the state.
Drawing from your experience as a school board member, what do you consider the most significant challenges that our K-12 public schools have faced over the past five years, and how would you address these issues?
Most people would say COVID; however, I would argue it is a lack of leadership at OSPI. The current Superintendent has worked to alienate and remove local control from elected school boards, has worked to limit parent access in the schools, and has been an advocate for dumbing down our education system. An A For All is not the solution. We need to be teaching credit-based, science-based, rigorous curriculum, challenging the students and holding them accountable. That is not happening today. In the fall of 2023, the Seattle Times called the Superintendent “cheerleading mediocrity”! That is not a strong endorsement and is a significant reason it is time for a change at the top of OSPI!
Your school district recently banned social media and cell phones in schools. What outcomes have you observed since the implementation of this policy? As the State Superintendent, would you consider extending this policy to all schools statewide? If yes, how would you ensure its successful rollout?
As Superintendent, I will be a strong advocate for all school districts to implement similar policies. Since implementing the ban, our students have reported feeling less stressed, they are more engaged, discipline issues are down, and anecdotal evidence indicates improved academic improvement as well. At the time of this reply, our schools are in the process of taking their state assessments.
Unlike the current Superintendent, I will allow each school board and district to set their own timeline and strict restrictions to ensure successful rollouts across the state. As I stated, I fully support local control and will not dictate how it is done or how quickly. Evidence clearly shows the damage smartphones and social media are doing to our students, especially among middle school girls. I would not advocate for it to be a state law, as they typically screw everything up and end up making it an unfunded mandate anyway.
The current Superintendent of Public Instruction, Chris Reykdal, has faced criticism for fostering a contentious relationship with local school boards, including threatening to withhold funds to force compliance. How would you ensure a collaborative and constructive partnership with local school districts?
This is an easy one for me. Every school district is unique. The community in Grandview is completely different than Everett or Tacoma. Therefore, I believe each school board must be allowed to perform its elected duties to do what its community believes is best for its children. It will be different across the state, and that’s okay. It is NOT a one-size-fits-all job, as Chris Reykdal attempts to make it with disastrous results. On day one, I will contact every school board and tell them, “You Have Control, How Can I Help?”.
As Superintendent of Public Instruction, what strategies would you implement to address and overcome the measurable learning losses experienced by students during the COVID-19 shutdowns?
Chris Reykdal and some within the WEA believe everything is okay. They all lost learning together, so they are all on the same playing field. That is insulting on so many levels. Chris Reykdal, along with our inept Governor, encouraged and pushed for one of the longest and most unreasonable school lockdowns in the country. I am proud to report that my school district had our special education students in school on day one when school started in 2020.
Unfortunately, for the students who have already graduated or will graduate this year, it’s probably too late for them. We can pray they can make it up in college, a trade school, or military training, as I did. For those still in school, focusing on reducing absenteeism and eliminating cell phones will be a great help. Identifying which students are struggling early on will be critical to ensuring they get additional tutoring and help from the teachers and paraeducators. We can also push policies to allow more community members to volunteer in our school to read to kids and mentor them in math and science. I would want to hold a conference with all 295 superintendents and bring in educational experts to best identify solutions to help kids still in the system. Parents will have to be part of that process.
A bipartisan majority in the state legislature passed I-2081, requiring public schools to inform parents about what their children are learning. What steps would you take to ensure compliance with this legislation?
Let’s be clear about this. The only reason that bill passed was because the democratic leadership, aka Laurie Jinkens, knew the initiative had overwhelming support and would pass in the November election. If she is in power in two years, she will do everything possible to repeal the bill. As Superintendent, I will stand on the Capital steps with parents from across the state and profess my support for the bill and parent notification. There should NEVER be secrets kept from parents.
If you had to choose one book for students to read before graduating from K-12 education, which book would it be and why?
Based on some of my comments, you might understand why I would require every 12th-grade student to read The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. It covers the collapse of student mental health due to the use of smartphones and social media. It is an eye-opener and a must-read for every school-age parent.
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