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May 1, 2005

Northland Reader
Richard Thomas, Editor

To the Editor:

Harry Welty apparently is obsessed with objecting to anything I might
say.  Either he deludes himself that he can accurately represent my
motives or beliefs to the public, or he intentionally misrepresents.
The recent case in point has to do with the intent of my letter to the
Duluth News-Tribune.  It was not a criticism of the incoming
superintendent.  It was a criticism of the current School Board.  Past
Boards have made the education of all children a top priority.  It is
not apparent that that enters into this Board's mindset.  In this
particular instance, Board members didn't even think to ask the
superintendent candidates the basic question-How are your current
schools faring?, or How is your district doing in achievement?-and
individuals made claims about the new hire's ability to serve
minorities which are unsupported by the available evidence.  I wish Mr.
Dixon well.  Perhaps he could have answered the questions had they been
asked.  But they weren't.  That is why I urge voters to pay attention
to whether or not the Board members are truly serving Duluth's children
or merely their friends and special interest groups.

Secondly, I suppose I should thank Harry for bringing some of my
remarks to a greater public than the smaller group gathered at the
Progressive Action forum.  (Harry has the name of the sponsoring group
wrong, but what else is new.)  I was asked to speak on the Problems and
Promises of Public Education in Duluth, and I did so.  If anyone was
bored, as implied by Harry, so be it.  I guess they just won't ever ask
me to speak to them again.

Eileen Zeitz Hudelson
1912 E. 5th St.
724-3865 (h); 726-8239 (w)
ezeitz@d.umn.edu