I am very disappointed in the actions of majority of Everett School Board in censuring Jessica Olson. I am, however, not surprised. Last fall I attended several school board meetings because of my concerns over student safety with the walking routes for students at Penny Creek Elementary. During tho
se meetings it was readily apparent that there was a good amount of discord within the board. My observations were that both sides bear some blame.
Jessica Olson has very strong opinions. She is very good at sharing them and standing up to those who disagree with her. She tends to do this in a rather abrasive manner which can interfere with her message being heard.
The rest of the board appears to be very interested in having everything go very smoothly and look good and seems willing to ignore some important issues and facts in order to have that happen. Therefore they ignore valid concerns brought to attention by Olson and attempt to silence her.
In addressing the board, it was apparent that Olson was far more interested in what I had to say than the rest of the board. While my most pressing concern was addressed, the rest of the board seemed to think it was not their job to address my concerns. (I did also discuss at length my concerns with Superintendent Gary Cohn and am still waiting for promised changes to be made.)
On the issues that I have observed, Jessica Olson is factually correct, but does not state her case in a politically adept manner. As a parent of three students in the Everett School District I much prefer that over the other members who are much more politically adept, but not as concerned about the issues and facts.
I thank The Herald for including the censure as well as Jessica Olson’s response on your website. I have read parts of it and it reinforces my opinion that she is in the right.
Mary Ann Elbert
Everett
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