Linda
Olson was selected as the new member of the Yosemite Joint Union
High School District Board of Trustees to replace David Hartesveldt
who moved from the district.
Olson represents Coarsegold on the board.
She brings 24 years of experience in the field of educational governance
and administration. She also has extensive experience in school
district policy development and finance.
Olson worked for New Jersey School Boards Association and for the
California School Boards Association before her retirement. She
and her husband, Jim, have lived in the mountain area for two years.
“Yosemite is a marvelous school district,” she says. “I have been
so impressed with what I’ve seen. I am tremendously impressed with
the staff and overjoyed with the diversity of programs. I just want
to be there to support it all.”
In 1985 Olson developed a program that is widely used in schools.
GAMUT, or Governance and Management Using Technology, was a two-year
project for her. The work was funded by a grant from Apple computers.
After she developed the program in California, Apple made the technology
available to all other state school boards. She worked with seven
other states, from Alaska to New Jersey, to implement the program.
She plans to spend a lot of her time helping the YJUHSD update its
policies. “It is tedious and time-consuming,” she says. “I would
be happy to take the lead in updating district policies.
“There are such wonderful tools, like GAMUT, to accomplish this
and I would take advantage of them.”
She says policy has to be inclusive, involving students, teachers
and the community.
“Policy is a local law governing the functioning of the school district,”
she says, adding that it requires consultation and compromise.
Policy must also be within the confines of state and federal law,
teacher contracts and state education department directives.
Olson is very supportive of the arts. While living in Washington
State, she helped form an arts foundation that funded the return
of art to public schools.
Although she says she is “most definitely retired,” she looks forward
to serving the community.
“I have always enjoyed working as part of a group to reach consensus,”
she says. “I respect individuals and differing opinions. I believe
in community involvement and think that serving on the YJUHSD Board
of Education is a very productive way for me to fulfill my civic
responsibility.”
Olson took her seat on the board after being appointed by the trustees
in August.
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