Dixon destroyed Duluth’s confidence…

…in our public schools.

How do I know? I’ve been stewing over the incredibly low level of confidence in our schools revealed by the recent community survey. Duluthians have a lower regard for the performance of our public schools than All of America has in the Congress. That was not always the case. I was pretty sure that by the time I left the School Board there was about 75% satisfaction with our schools. I might have a survey or newspaper clipping in my attic but I don’t have the week it would take for me to find it.

But then I remembered Dr. Dixon’s sham survey to prove that all of Duluth wanted to dispense with a referendum on a school building plan. It was a monstrously big survey and I guessed it had a question that asked folks how good they felt our schools were. I was right and I had put the entire survey on the Let Duluth Vote website:

Here’s what Duluth told Dr. Dixon’s surveyors six years ago before the Red Plan and the theft of our referendum:

2. How would you rate the quality of education provided by the Duluth Public School District — excellent, good, only fair, or poor?

EXCELLENT………….12%
GOOD………………63%
ONLY FAIR………….17%
POOR……………….2%
DON’T KNOW/REFUSED…..6%

So, in 2006 75% of our citizens felt Duluth had “good” or “excellent” Schools. By 2008, two years into the Red Plan, only 26% of Duluthians reported we had “quality” public school education. Today it 21% who feel we have quality schools. I realize the questions have been asked differently but the only way my interpretation of the results fails is if we treat a “Good” school as not being a quality school. That makes very little sense.

75% to 21%. Thank you Dr. Dixon.

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