Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Santa Cruz City School District; Trustee Area 1

October 5, 2000

With the exception of the years I spent in the United States Army, I have never felt so much authoritarianistic rebuttals to my desires as a citizen as I have in my communication with many members of the Santa Cruz Education system. Surely, this bespeaks of something deeper and wider than I experience on the surface.

A couple of years ago, during a parent/teacher conference, I asked the teacher if they thought that the past 200 years of education has been beneficial to our culture here in the United States. In answer to my wild hope for agreement on an answer to this question, the answer the teacher spoke was a quiet, "No."

A couple of days ago, I was watching a home video with a Santa Cruz middle-school student. The video contained footage of the student at about age 5 or 6. The student remarked how happy they had been then as a younger young person. I asked the student what is making the difference between then and now? They looked dejectedly down at the floor, eyes downcast, and said "Homework." And this from a straight A student!

I want to be elected to the Board because I am a Father and want to have some additional measure of control over what is happening in the education system as it relates to my offspring.

I specifically want to work to incorporate into our education system: a) a dramatic lessening of the number of hours spent doing homework by all students; b) the offering and teaching of a martial art or arts to all students [I suggest aikido]; c) a permanent ban on the use of biocides (pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc.) on school grounds and in school buildings; d) the teaching of compassion; e) a mandatory reduction in the weight of backpacks to the chiropractically recommended 10% of the weight of the student; f) the serving of only 100% organic foods in the school grounds, buildings, and vending machines. And more...

Please, call two friends and ask them to vote for Clay Olson for Santa Cruz City Board of Education and that they call two more friends...

Sincerely, Clay Olson