January 29, 2004 Email from Alix Olson:

Dear Mr. Zellmer-

Thank you for your recent letter about interviewing me as
a candidate for the Madison School Board. Unfortunately, I am not going to
be able to fill this request, as I am extremely busy with my campaign, as
well as my "regular" job, which is also quite demanding. There should be
opportunities for you to attend or watch televised candidate forums in the
next several months.

I will take this time to tell you that the reason I'm running for the S.B.
is that I want all students to have a quality education which will enrich
their lives and chances to succeed. I also want to help support teachers
and school staff in their jobs, which are some of the most important in our
society. Education needs to be much more of a priority in our world, I
think, since education holds so many of the keys in life.

If elected, I would hope to lobby for increased State financial aid to the
MMSD, and for the removal of spending limits, including the teacher salary
caps. I would also try to keep the overage of this year's proposed budget
from necessitating cuts in any instructional programs for students. I would
like to be part of a solution for the increased achievement of students of
color and other struggling students within our system. School safety is
also of paramount importance to me; students cannot learn in an unsafe
environment. I think ESL programs should be enlarged and supported, as
should Special Education programs, since without these classes, many
students would be at-risk for failure. It is vital that students learn,
achieve, and graduate from our schools, for their own well-being, as well as
to enrich our society and our communities.

Thank you for your correspondence. I hope you and your family will be able
to select the most qualified candidates in the S.B. race.

Sincerely,


Alix Olson
Candidate, Madison School Board, Seat # 5