I am very concerned about Tom Olmstead’s candidacy for the D38 school board. Olmstead’s appearance at the KOAA forum revealed a lack of qualifications and understanding, and an obsessed focus on personal grievances. I will not be voting for him.
Olmstead’s forum performance was marked by a stunning lack of preparedness. He seemed unfamiliar with the initiatives of the school district and offered only third-hand anecdotes to support his vague goals. It’s clear he put minimal effort into understanding the responsibilities of the board, or even how meetings function (it seemed like he’s never attended one). Rather than addressing concrete issues, his focus was railing against perceived issues such as “indoctrination” by teachers’ unions or gender issues, deeply divisive stances that detract from real issues at hand.
When Olmstead cited a student suicide, he admitted he didn’t know any details, and he didn’t connect it to any concrete proposal. When he referred to a rumored incident of a student’s sexual misconduct, he suggested that elected board members should be involved in disciplining individual students (completely inappropriate) and—despite not knowing any of the details—put the involved students’ safety and privacy at risk. This level of ignorance and carelessness is unacceptable for someone seeking to influence the inner workings of our schools.
Tom Olmstead’s candidacy falls far short of our community’s needs, and what I want for schools I send my children to. The role of a school board member requires a deep commitment to education, a solid understanding of the challenges facing our district, and a proactive approach to policymaking. Unfortunately, Tom Olmstead has not demonstrated any of these qualities and appears more interested in settling personal grievances and promoting divisive ideologies. I urge my neighbors against a vote for Tom Olmstead.
Jeremy Borgia
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