A letter-to-the-editor in today’s Sunday Trib said Let Duluth Vote is a good cause but has faulty leaders and I was mentioned specifically. No kidding! I’m as faulty as they come. I especially enjoyed this observation: “The superintendent, with the management skills of Wall Street, is now talking of possibly closing schools earlier and a four-day school week to save money.”
Of me James Walsh said:
“That being said, I do not believe the Let Duluth Vote group is without fault. I believe they would be better served by a new leader. I am sure the people of Duluth remember that Harry Welty’s poor decisions in the past as a School Board member contributed significantly to our current demise.”
Mr. Walsh is a thoughtful and intelligent follower of the Duluth Schools. I know because he has been furious with me for ten years and never hesitates to point out my failings. We conducted a long email debate in years past and I probably saved a few of his emails.
Mr. Walsh nurses a grudge against me for voting to bring the Edison Schools into Duluth. This is a decision which I do not regret but a decision which I’ve never attempted to sugar coat. Kids from ISD public schools now attend the Edison Public Schools. They are both public schools paid for by state and local taxpayers. The Teacher’s Union President, who helped give birth to the Red Plan tried very hard in 1999 to have me defeated when I ran for reelection to the school board. He failed.
This much I will acknowledge. Edison pulls kids out of the ISD 709 schools. Since having too much building for the number of students has become a justification for the Red Plan I inadvertantly had a roll in creating the justification for the Red Plan.
Mr. Walsh’s criticism of me as a school board may or may not be accurate. Its not particularly relevant to the leadership of Let Duluth Vote. But having said that I encourage everyone to pay close attention to what Mr. Walsh says about the Red Plan.
