Yesterday was a busy news day so nothing showed up on air dealing with the Greenhouse and/or my email to City Councilors. That didn’t mean my comments to the Councilors went unnoticed. Angie Miller sent the Board this email:
Dear Mr. Leider,
I was relieved to see that your information to the school board was not exactly what Mr. Welty’s reported in his email to the City Council. However, I do believe that some clarification is needed. I feel like your memo does not reflect what I said in the meeting.
Your memo stated – “It was determined the clientele served by Community Action would generally not meet the background requirements of the District for direct contact with students.” I don’t think that determination was made at the meeting.We did not discuss at all what kind of background issues would preclude someone from having contact with students at the meeting. I did not indicate that “generally our clients wouldn’t meet the requirements”, because I don’t know what the exact ISD 709 requirements are. It was not discussed. There are lots of background issues that probably would not/should not preclude CAD employees from having contact with a student, maybe a DUI 10 years ago? A petty misdemeanor? Trespassing? I don’t know, because we didn’t talk about it at the meeting.
I never meant to imply that our Seeds of Success employees would not meet your requirements, unless the ISD 709 policy is to exclude anyone who has anything on a background check. All kinds of nonviolent and non dangerous things can appear on a person’s background check. I just said that sometimes we hire people who have “œbackground issues”. Of course, if we were going to partner with ISD 709 on some programming or some classes at the greenhouse, we not hire anyone who would be a danger to students or the public.
I am hoping you will clarify this with the School Board because I feel the information they received reflects poorly on our agency and our Seeds employees. Thank you for considering my request.
As it was my comments that prompted the email I sent Angie this reply which I also copied to the School Board and our staff:
Dear Angie,
However you or Mr. Leider characterize the folks at the greenhouse, staff or clientele, there is one inescapable fact. Something about some of them led Community Action to say that it would preclude their interactions with public school students.
I don’t know what that “it” is, but that is Community Action’s dilemma. It should not be Denfeld’s dilemma.
We both represent populations that are in considerable need. In my case I must protect the interests of a thousand students and staff at Denfeld. The student population at that school has close to a 60% free and reduced lunch population. I don’t believe I have to tell you what that means. Some of these students may find themselves in need of Community Action’s help. As I told a reporter yesterday, I think it is a shame that we find ourselves at the beginning of a needless scuffle that pits have-nots against have-nots. It is a needless fight because there are, or should be, other properties suitable and available for Community Action’s purposes.
You know your employees and your clientele. I know ours. Our employees are required to have background checks. Trust me. We do not exclude from employment people who had “DUI ten years ago.” If that’s all Community Action has to worry about there should be no problem.
But, at the moment, it appears that ISD 709 is threatened with a fait accompli which will place a program facility next to Denfeld High School that our students will not be welcomed at despite our serious offer to work collaboratively with Community Action.
This is not or should not be an issue of reputation. We both represent people in need of our respect and protection. Respect and protection should be the issues. I will welcome an amicable solution that benefits both our organizations and clientele.
In all sincerity,
Harry Welty
Duluth School Board
This resulted in the following reply from Angie to me:
Greetings – Denfeld students will be welcome at the Community Action Duluth greenhouse. We will not have staff in the greenhouse whose backgrounds preclude them from interacting with students. Thank you for providing me an opportunity to clarify this. We look forward to working together. The Jr. League contacted Denfeld staff several times during the last year regarding programmatic partnerships and I’m looking forward to starting those conversations.
Angie Miller
Supt. Gronseth sent me a brief email commending me for my passion and explaining that he would be meeting with Ms. Miller and that he regarded Community Action as a partner with ISD 709.
I replied that the Director of Community Action did not promise a partnership saying instead that “if” students did participate there would be no problems with CAD staff. Its that “if” that causes me concern. That’s up to Community Action Duluth. Once they own the property they will call the shots.
Ironically, that’s CAD’s fear should ISD 709 acquire the property. We would call the shots and we might someday decide there are more important things we could do with the property than have a Community greenhouse sitting on it.
