I’ve been sent an email reminding me to return my school board member’s visitor pass and parking permit, sure signs of my lame duck status. I’m not completely finished. I just got to a Double Tree Motel in Minneapolis to participate in the MSBA Delegate Assembly tomorrow. That’s where school board reps will determine what the state school board association lobbies the legislature for.
I’ll share one last email sent to the Duluth School board with equal parts complaint and thank you:
November 30, 2017
School Board Members
To school board members Annie Harala, David Kirby and Rosie Loeffleer-Kemp again you express your preference to only supporting the needs of East High School students. Your vote does not surprise me, but you should be ashamed that you do not equally represent all of Duluth’s High School students. Parents and grandparents of students throughout Duluth are at a loss as to there your priority regarding students is. It is too obvious who you deem worthy of your concern. As a resident and tax payers I want all students equally represented throughout the Duluth school system .
The difference in attendance between the two high schools has been a major issue which you have not resolved. But [you] continue to use this funding to resolve problems at East’s because of its enrollment numbers. If you refuse to resolve or are unable to resolve the attendance issue please remove yourself from the position of a responsible school board member, we need members who want all students to have equal advantages and giving all schools equal footing can resolve most of our current issues and distrust.
All the concerns regarding changing the use of this funding seem to be based [on] one school, large class sizes, teachers affected, loss of counselors. These concerns are already losses for Denfeld students. Denfeld has class size increases but the loss of subject availability has been the worst for educational opportunities. Time to open your eyes and see the city as a whole unit not just who can be assisted the easiest. Denfeld is in crisis mode and you don’t seem to care.
This funding has a purpose but is not used for that purpose. Denfeld students do not deserve only 80% of its allocation while East receives almost 400%, really, you feel good in knowing you have treated all students fairly. I see the scale of justice for all students very off balance. And to quote John Krumm on the issue from the Duluth News Tribune. The west side was “paying for part of our cake.”
I hope you do not believe your are pulling the wool over the eyes of residents of Duluth, for you are not. But you should be ashamed for not stopping the injustice of it all. Our students deserve better representation than you give them.
And to school board members Alanna Oswald, Art Johnson and Harry Welty thank you for trying to address the injustice you see going on with our current school board. And for school board member Nora Sandstad, it was too bad you could not of stayed and showed us what side of justice you were on.
Sincerely
Xxxxx
DuuthMN 55808
I replied:
Harry Welty
1:15 PM (5 minutes ago)
to xxxxxxx,
Please make your concerns known to the new school board members who will take office in January. They will be part of the votes in June which will decide the next budget and whether Compensatory Education funding is spent as the legislature intended it to be.
Harry
