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Show V Mils'1 , 1BEV DR. W. RUSSELL OLSEN ; ( Btfl. Principal: Distinguished . on By TOM BUSSELBERG North County Editor ari BOUNTIFUL - A 22-year principal and veteran educator a from Bountiful has gained recognition as Utah's first National is. Distinguished Principal.- IH1S IT MEANT a trip to the nation's capitol for Dr. W. Russell ,,i,;oi Olson, last Friday, as he was honored by U.S. Education Secret- he hui ary T.H. Bell and awarded special recognition at the White 0 House, one of 54 selected from across the country for outstanding sche administrative efforts. i(0fl The white-haired, yet youthful, principal, now in his 28th year ,jy as an educator with all of them served in Davis County, was quick $t to emphasize there are many outstanding school chiefs across the il state. But he endorsed the concept, indicating it's "to point up sl the fact there are some very effective principals," perhaps in an 'fe effort to erase what some might think is a relatively unimportant role because they're not in the classroom in front of 28 students, jut "TEACHERS TEND to do a better job if the principal has hiii created the right kind of atmosphere , " the Salt Lake native said, 1 emphasizing the staff must function as a "total system" with afbi teachers complementing the principal and visa versa if it's done j, right-Looking right-Looking at his own faculty, Dr. Olson says 'when I got herein ; 1980 I found the staff to be characterized by a high degree of a,i positive morale and strong feelings of mutual support." He took over the reigns from Arnold Lund after spending 15 years at the helm of Meadowlark School on the other side of Bountiful, a school he opened. lm, REFLECTING ON his years as a principal, he spoke of "a lot of Q change in the role," going from an autocratic or one-man rule to J today's "participatory administration" where he says "every- body wants to give input." j "Parents want to be very much involved and it's better if a ' principal keeps atuned to the feelings in the community and ' j makes adjustments" based on that. Parents are "the clientele" but the principal must still manage the school, performing a blancing act between parents and staff. He further sees his role as one of "continuing a sound program of instruction and develop- ment" adding, though, that "parents are always welcome" with : the telephone always there if they can't come in person. ' SPEAKING of teachers, he said "I think the schools of Utahdo remarkably well considering their heavy enrollment and limited .. , resources, primarily because we have teachers extremely dedi- cated and parents who send children who are products of good ', i Mix homes. Dr. Olson was raised in Murray, graduated from high school there and served a two-year LDS mission to Great Britain fol-lowed fol-lowed by four years Air Force duty. He married the former Afton Jj" Wallgren and they are the parents of four sons and a daughter and three grandchildren. ! EDUCATIONALLY, most of his university studies were at the University of Utah with some work also completed at the University Univer-sity of Northern Colorado in Greeley. He's been active in both the national and Utah Assoc. of Elementary School UAESP Principals, serving on the national resolution committee, with special interest areas including curriculum and instruction, elementary school organization, community relations, gifted and talented education and microcomputers. He also was involved in the "Nation at Risk" education reform forum and participated in -a principals-headmasters exchange with Essex County, England, . several years ago. In his spare time, Dr. Olson enjoys golf, reading, his Apple computer, and photography. " DISTRICT SUPT. Lawrence Welling commended Dr. Olson's ' "great qualities as a school educational leader" while Sherman f-Sheffield, f-Sheffield, executive director of the UAESP says he "presents the j image of the model principal. He has a problem-solving approach ; to change that needs to occur in education and provides leader- ship while maintaining congeniality. '. He also has a "deep and abiding love for children," adds Dr. Colleen Colton, association president. |