In an age of standardized testing, data-driven metrics, and increasingly rigid educational frameworks, Mark Olson’s winter wonderland at West Central Area South Elementary stands as a powerful rebuke to what modern education has become. This custodian’s extraordinary dedication—transforming his school during Thanksgiving break with miles of lights and decorations purchased with his own money—isn’t just a heartwarming holiday story. It’s a profound reminder of what truly matters in education: human connection, belonging, and creating environments where children feel valued beyond their test scores.
The True Measure of Educational Impact Isn’t Quantifiable
Mark Olson’s decade-long tradition began with a simple, heartbreaking realization that two students had no Christmas to look forward to. His response wasn’t to file a report or refer them to a counselor—it was to transform their daily environment into something magical. The results speak volumes: children running excitedly into school after a break, spontaneous hugs, and tears of joy from students who otherwise might have nothing special during the holidays.
This stands in stark contrast to our current educational obsession with measurable outcomes. The Department of Education’s increasing emphasis on standardized performance has created a system where, according to a 2022 RAND Corporation survey, 54% of teachers report spending more class time on test preparation than actual learning experiences. Meanwhile, Mark Olson’s immeasurable contribution—the creation of wonder, belonging, and joy—would register as precisely zero on any educational performance metric.
Yet ask any child at West Central Area South Elementary what they’ll remember decades later: a standardized test score or the year their school hallways glowed with holiday magic? The answer illuminates everything wrong with how we evaluate educational success.
School Support Staff: The Unsung Heroes of Educational Environments
Mark’s story highlights the profound impact of non-teaching staff on children’s educational experience. “He loves all the kids,” observed third-grader Mayson Trinka—a simple statement that reveals a complex truth: children learn best in environments where they feel genuinely cared for by every adult they encounter.
Research from Johns Hopkins University found that positive relationships with school staff significantly correlate with improved attendance, behavior, and academic performance—particularly for vulnerable students. Yet nationwide, support staff like custodians face stagnant wages, reduced hours, and outsourcing to private contractors who provide fewer benefits and less stability.
Consider the contrast: Chicago Public Schools recently outsourced custodial services to save money, resulting in high turnover and understaffed schools. Meanwhile, in Kensington, Minnesota, a dedicated custodian spends his entire holiday break creating an experience that transforms how students feel about their school. The cost-benefit analysis of such decisions rarely accounts for what’s lost when schools lose dedicated staff who view their work as more than just a job.
The Profound Impact of Physical Environments on Learning
The physical environment where learning occurs matters far more than most educational policies acknowledge. Mark’s transformation of the school’s physical space doesn’t just create momentary delight—it fundamentally changes how students perceive their educational environment.
A 2015 study published in Building and Environment found that classroom physical characteristics accounted for 16% of learning progress over a school year. Yet school infrastructure funding continues to decline nationwide, with the American Society of Civil Engineers giving U.S. school infrastructure a dismal D+ rating. The average school building is over 40 years old, and many districts prioritize minimal maintenance over creating inspiring spaces.
Mark’s winter wonderland demonstrates how dramatically a physical environment can shift student attitudes toward school. Principal Caitlin Hendricks noted she “stopped dead in tracks” upon seeing the display. If a transformed environment can create such a profound reaction in an adult, imagine its impact on young, developing minds who spend over 1,000 hours annually in these spaces.
The Missing Ingredient in Education Reform: Love
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of this story is Mark’s simple motivation: “I don’t have any kids. This way, every year, I have 100-some kids of my own.” This statement cuts to the heart of what’s missing in most educational reform conversations—love as a driving force in education.
Education policy discussions revolve around accountability, standards, and outcomes, but rarely address the transformative power of adults who simply love children enough to go to extraordinary lengths for them. Mark doesn’t create his light display to improve test scores or meet district benchmarks—he does it because he loves these children.
The Finnish education system, consistently ranked among the world’s best, emphasizes this human element. Finnish educator Pasi Sahlberg notes that their success stems partly from prioritizing well-being and human connection over rigid performance metrics. Teachers and staff are encouraged to build relationships with students rather than focus exclusively on academic outcomes.
Mark Olson’s winter wonderland exemplifies this approach—creating magic not because it’s measured on any performance review, but because it matters to the children he serves.
Alternative Viewpoints: The Case for Standardization and Efficiency
Some would argue that education must prioritize measurable outcomes and operational efficiency. From this perspective, Mark’s five-day, 12-hour-per-day effort might seem extravagant or impractical to implement broadly. Educational systems serve millions of children and must establish consistent standards to ensure equitable learning opportunities.
This viewpoint has merit—standards and measurements do matter. However, the flaw in this thinking is the false dichotomy it creates between academic rigor and human connection. The most effective educational environments achieve both by recognizing that emotional engagement and belonging are prerequisites for meaningful learning, not distractions from it.
The evidence consistently shows that children learn best when they feel safe, valued, and connected to their school community. Mark Olson’s holiday display creates precisely this foundation—not at the expense of academic learning, but as its essential prerequisite.
The mistake in modern education isn’t measuring outcomes; it’s measuring only certain outcomes while ignoring equally important aspects of child development that don’t fit neatly into spreadsheets.
The Call to Recognize and Replicate What Truly Matters
Mark Olson’s winter wonderland isn’t just a heartwarming anecdote—it’s a blueprint for what education could prioritize. Imagine schools where every adult—from teachers to custodians—had the support, autonomy, and resources to create environments where children feel this level of belonging and wonder.
This doesn’t require every school custodian to spend their holidays hanging lights. It requires educational systems that value and measure the human elements of education alongside academic outcomes. It requires funding priorities that recognize school infrastructure and support staff as essential to learning, not peripheral expenses to minimize.
Most importantly, it requires us to recognize that moments of connection and wonder—a child hugging a custodian in a hallway transformed by holiday lights—aren’t distractions from “real education.” They are education in its most profound and lasting form.
As one student exclaimed upon seeing Mark’s creation: “It’s a winter wonderland!” Perhaps education reform should start by asking: How do we create more wonderlands, and fewer standardized testing centers?
