001Good afternoon and welcome to the Duth School Board October listening session. We'll start out with our roll call. Member Banks >> here. >> Member Derek Eer here. Member Laughler Kemp >> here. Member Loal >> here. >> I am member Mel here. Member Sidowski >> here. >> Member Williams >> here. >> Superintendent Maggus >> present. >> Assistant Superintendent Bonds >> present. >> Deputy clerk Zunich >> present. Uh board secretary Pquette >> here. >> Roll call is complete. Thank you. We will now ask member Banks to read the 11 tools of civility. >> Thank you. The school board recognizes 11 tools of civility that will provide increased opportunities for civil discourse in order to find positive resolutions to the issues that face our community. These tools include pay attention, listen, be inclusive, don't gossip, show respect, be
002agreeable, apologize, give constructive criticism, take responsibility, be honest, and care for others, show your evidence, share your reasoning. This says, "Encouraged by Speaker Peace, the civility project." >> Thank you, member Banks. Clerk Melo, can you read our listening session information? >> Of course. Uh, if you have handouts for the board, please give them to our school board secretary Pakquette. Uh, persons addressing the board will have three minutes total. When speaking to the use of negatively personally identifiable language is not permitted. Persons addressing the board may not merge their time in order to allow one person to speak more than 3 minutes. The clerk of the board will start a stoplight timer, which is here at the start of each person's time. Green means go, yellow means wrap up, and red means stop. When the red
003light comes on, the chair will gavvel to signal you to end. And in the interest of respect for every listening session speaker, please hold any commentary during the speaker's time till after they are finished. Thank you. >> Thank you. And we now welcome Katherine Disterhoff to the podium. Again, I'll just call for Katherine Disterhoff. Okay. Well, if Katherine comes, we can move her um to later in the session. Now, we'll call Diana Durich. I can't >> Ditch. Thank you. I I can't help it. But I threw an extra R in. My apologies. Thank you. Welcome. >> Testing. >> Perfect. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Diana Dugage and my husband John and I are parents in the Nova Vision Spanish immersion program. We believe in what Nova Vision stands for. It's not just a
004curriculum. It's a bridge between cultures, a celebration of language and a source of pride for families like ours. Where my Mexican heritage is reflected in our children's learning and where I've had the joy of sharing that culture in their classrooms. When we were told back in January that our children would be moving to Mayor's Wilkins, we trusted the district's assurances that this would remain one unified program. We adapted. Our kids adapted. They said goodbye to teachers and friends and walked into a new school with open hearts, believing the experience would be familiar. But what we've discovered since then is that are there are now in the early grades when small class sizes matter most. That's not a small gap. It's a 30 to 50% difference. And those numbers represent lived experiences. Teachers stretched thin, students
005struggling to focus, and parents kept up at night wondering why one program means something different depending on your zip code. To be clear, this isn't a comparison between two neighborhood schools. It's a look inside a single unified program. one with its own culture, curriculum, and magic 10 years in the making. We share the following requests with hope and respect because we still believe Nova Vision can be a model of equity and opportunity and trust can be restored. Tonight, we ask for three clear steps. One, a plan to correct and maintain equity and consistency in class sizes, resources, and learning conditions across both schools with a commitment from the board to provide oversight, transparency, and accountability so implementation aligns with the promises made to families. Two, a Nova Vision advisory group bringing together parents, teachers, and
006district staff to collaborate, problem solve, and rebuild trust. And finally, a long-term vision for Nova Vision led in partnership with the school board to define what success looks like in equity, access, and student experience and ensure the program continues to grow as one unified community. It is time for a nova vision, one that brings parents, teachers, and the district together to shape the future of the program we love. Thank you. Thank you. We now call Chris Fold and welcome him to the stand. Is that working? [Music] My name is Chris Vald and I'm Today I'm here as a citizen and a parent. Not as a parent of a current Duth student, but simply a blessed parent who was able to raise his three children, get them through college and into their lives as successful young
007adults. I'm here tonight representing every parent in this area who for whatever reason might have to send their child to a program to be housed at the former DNT building set to include the new ALC. I'm here representing the young parents bringing their firstborn child downtown for preschool screening. Those parents who most likely will have to navigate the unhoused looking for a handout or step over used drug needles or human feces to get from parking into the building. I'm here representing the parents of the troubled middle school student who's been assigned here because he couldn't succeed in a luxurious building with every resource available. Instead, he'll now spend his days here. in a single undersized classroom with two windows facing a parking ramp in the alley where the homeless travel, soon to be on their
008way to the new cannabis shop three blocks away. Imagine that angry and volatile 13-year-old boy locked in a school without a gym, without any green space or recess, without a single space large enough to hold a student body. Is that a school or detention center? I'm here representing the parents of a 19-year-old. Or perhaps I'm representing the 19-year-old because they don't have a parent. They themselves are the parent of a child. They haven't been able to succeed in a traditional school, but they continue to try and finish high school by attending classes at the ALC. Those classes to be housed in a dark and crowded second floor shared with adult education students who have been trying for 20 or 30 plus years to get on track. Instead of having their soldoff school replaced, these ALC
009teenagers will be forced into an attic that they might have to attend for three, four, maybe five years, a space with no identity or autonomy that provides a sense of a school they can feel proud of. Instead, every day they try to find hope. They have to climb the stairs of an old newspaper building with a few windows looking at a parking ramp, a brick wall across a narrow alley, or a dark street that the sun doesn't reach until the end of the school day. Imagine an entire school, Miss Loalt, that has fewer windows than a single Denfeld classroom. And this is where our most struggling students will go to look for hope. And finally, I'm here representing every school board member who might forget that these students are our children, your children. Can you
010imagine yourself as one of these parents? Is this what you would accept for your child? For all the potential repercussions that could occur in this dreadful, dreadful space you dare to call a school, I hope for your sake you all don't end up on the wrong side of history because your names are going to be on the decision to put students there. Thank you, Mr. Vold. Next, we have Monica Hines Haynes. Welcome. Thank you. Good evening. I'm Monica Haynes and my family has been part of the Noea Vision Spanish immersion program since 2018. Our youngest is now in third grade at Myers Wilkins. While our entire experience with NVSI has been wonderful, a high point came in fall 2023 when we hosted the AMD intern from Spain. During that time, our daughters learned so much
011about Spanish language and culture and June became a part of our family. So much so that we traveled to Spain last May for her wedding. That kind of global connection is what makes NVSI so special and is why we remained committed to the program even when our daughter transitioned to Myers Wilkins this fall. Despite our initial disappoint disappointment with having to move schools, we went into the transition with optimism. But two months in, it's been hard to stay positive. While she is adjusting, it hasn't been easy. Her class, which has 27 students in a small room without windows, also has a lot of big personalities. She tells us it's loud, hard to focus, and that her teacher has to be very strict to keep the class under control. We've had many tearful mornings and have
012heard again and again the question, why can't I just go back to LOL? It's even harder to stay positive when we hear from friends who have remained at LOL, where many classes now have just 18 or 19 students. Knowing our daughter will likely remain in a much larger class for the next three years, it's difficult not to wonder about the equity of that situation and how these differences might affect students learning in the long run. I recognize that the district is facing many competing challenges balancing the needs of multiple schools and families and I appreciate the work that's gone into navigating these issues transitions, at least four moves with her biological parents, homelessness, two separate foster care placements, and two stays at a crisis nursery. Because of the chaos of her early years, she continues
013to struggle with a trauma disorder. And last spring, she was diagnosed with moderate combined ADHD and specifically struggles with auditory processing. She is so smart and an outgoing kid and she works really hard at school and it is um but it isn't without struggle. It was not ideal for our daughter and many others who um have already had so many transitions in her short uh eight years of life to switch schools. But she made the change with bravery and her usual exuberance. But I ask now, how will she thrive or even meet grade level standards now that she's in a small, loud, overcrowded, windowless classroom in a new school, starting over with finding support, support that at LOL had been years in the making. This is a lot to overcome for any child. I watched
014the presentation from October 7th and I really appreciated the questions that you all posed regarding our third graders specifically, but I was not satisfied with the answers that were given and I hope that you will join me in following up. One question us families have been asking repeatedly is will our students have a classroom of 27 kids for the remainder of their elementary career while their counterparts at LOL enjoy a class of 19 and 20 students? We have not been given an answer to this question directly, but I heard two things in that presentation. I heard it's fine to have a classroom of this size, especially in older grades. And I heard that the district expects students to leave the program as they get older. These answers are problematic. It's not acceptable to just wait
015for students to leave a program instead of doing your best to create an equitable and supportive classroom environment that encourages a student's longevity in the immersion program across both sites. Already one of our children's classmates has switched to an English classroom. When this transition was implemented, the decision-making was very top down. We were told, "You are switching schools, no ifs, ands, or buts." And it felt like the district expected the worst from us and then gave no space for input and then little transparency until we repeatedly asked for it. In retrospect, this is even more frustrating because the split in the program resulted in inequities. I have no qualms with being at Myers Wilkins. In many ways, we're really happy to be there. Our anger stems from the fact that the district forced our children
016to move, forced them to be resilient, split them up from their community and their support, and placed them in a windowless, overcrowded classroom. I'd like to ask the district to consider some solutions. Can the district allow open enrollment at both sites with a lottery system in an attempt to even out class sizes? Further, I'd like the district to acknowledge the inequities that have been created at the two sites and create some opportunities to listen to families. Thank you. Thank you. Um Jordan Johnson is next. Welcome. Uh good evening, chair and school board members. Uh my name is Jordan Johnson and I'm here before you this evening to speak about supporting our indigenous people, students and parents and particularly through the American parent um advisory committee in working closely with the APEC and community members. I
017want to bring you to your attention the ways barriers are being created for committee members to fully engage and reach out and connect with parents. I want to note that APAC is willing to collaborate and work in partnership with the school district. Yet this effort in to be in partnership does not seem to be reciprocated. There's a persistent tension that continues to be present which hinders our work in supporting our indigenous parents and our students. As an example to a barrier that emerged, Apac had a Facebook page um which is which is a prominent way for uh community members to engage and learn about information and that social media account has been deactivated which limits their capacity to connect with parents who may not have email accounts to get information about the meetings. APEC members
018have continued to request documentation regarding budget allocations which is dismissed and we are living in a time as you've heard that where transparency and communication are key to building trusting relationships and these are two simple examples that I'm raising. Also, it is a bit alarming to me when I have heard that staff and teachers who were connected to our indigenous students have left the school district. Most importantly, I'm here again to remind you a few sections of the Minnesota statute of 124D.78 and subdivision 1 that states that school districts, charter schools, tribal contract schools, and the respective school boards must provide for the maximum involvement of parents of American Indian children enrolled in American Indian education programs, programs for elementary and secondary grades, special education programs, and support services. The American Indian Board Advisory Committee
019must develop its recommendations in consultation with the curriculum advisory committee required by section 12B1 subdivision 3. The committee must afford parents and necessary information and the opportunity effectively to express their views and concern on all aspects of American Indian education and educational needs of our American Indian students and programs. So I'm just asking you to fully support per the statute our American Indian comm community committee, our indigenous parents and caregivers and our students within the school district. Our parents deserve to have the proper and adequate support to assist their children in completing their education in our school district. So thank you for your time and I hope you are able to identify as ways to effectively work in collaboration for our committee members and our parents. Thank you. Next, we welcome Dr. Mary Owens. Owen,
020excuse me. I don't know if any of you are aware of this or not, but uh this year 2025 marks the 70th anniversary of the Indian self-determined education assistance act. It's an act that of all people was passed by uh by of all people u Richard Nixon but it was an act that guaranteed sovereignty for native people allowed us to take over our health care our education all of our services recognizing that we knew how best to take care of ourselves in the spirit and I think American Indian education is is and should be recognized in this same spirit we know how to take care of ourselves and yet that doesn't seem to be happening with this school district. We have, as you have heard from many of our APAC members, they do not feel
021like they're listened to. They have not been involved in every single step of the process as has been recommended in this state statute just read by my colleague here in the community, Jordan Johnson. It says specifically that we that parents should be involved in every step. Now that every step means we need to know who's applying for the recent American Indian education leadership and who's and uh and not only that they need to give input on that and yet we know that there were people from the community as American Indian people in the community we know there were people who applied that were not listed and we get this excuse that well they didn't reply to the emails that went to them. If everything had been done in transparency and if we trusted the school
022district which we don't for obvious reasons because we have not been listened to in the past then maybe we would buy that but we don't. So in that case we need transparency from step one to step 10. We know how to take care of ourselves. When I came here to medical school I remember being one of many people from across this country because as my mentor Gerald Hill Dr. Gerald Hill, a Clamouth physician, stated, "Minnesota has the tightest case of institutional racism in this entire nation." And he's not far from wrong. Look at our our graduation rates for Native Americans, African-Americans. We rank at 49 and 50. Now, I'm not saying it's all your responsibility to change that, but let us do some of that work. Invest in us. Respect our knowledge of the system,
023of our community, and involve us. Please ask your school district leadership to allow us in on every step of these processes and and by that us I mean American Indian uh parent advisory committee. Migwitch, >> thank you. Next we have Andre Watt. Uh good evening. My name is Andre Watt. uh and my family joined the Spanish immersion program. Uh we're now in our eighth year with a daughter at each of the schools, one in middle school and one in elementary school. Uh we joined not only for its academic and cultural values eight years ago. Um but also because of the smaller class sizes that were uh offered as a result of LOL back then being an very underutilized school. Uh when the district mandated a transfer to Meyers, we tried to stay open-minded and do
024our homework about transitioning. Uh there's a lot of research that shows that you need to commit long-term um especially through the upper elementary grades so that immersion is successful. as if you leave a program in earlier grades 1 through three, for example, your English skills may be lagging, which can cause academic uh and social setbacks if you were to transfer to an English program. So, the district created a very difficult decision for parents with limited options during this transition. Uh throughout the transition, it's it's sort of felt uh not very equal and transparent. um families were told to remain or that it would remain a unified equitable program across the two campuses. In practice, it hasn't really been that with the larger class sizes as mentioned earlier. Uh furthermore, transfers have been allowed from Meyers
025from uh LOL to Meyers uh which further can increase those class sizes, but families are not allowed uh to transfer the opposite direction, which was made very clear from the beginning. Uh equally concerning has been the third grade windowless classroom. Uh and while the board is correct that that technically meets basic standards, is that what we should be expecting in the district from uh with 21st century classrooms in the district? Uh there was zero funding, for example, given to that classroom to start out the new program. Uh research shows that in classrooms with the most daylight, students actually progress up to 26% faster in reading than rooms without windows. And as it was discussed in the September board meeting, uh Meyers is already struggling with reading scores and we're looking for solutions. The board is
026looking for solutions on how to improve reading at the Myers Wilkins School. Um so natural light is not a luxury. It's a proven academic factor. Uh unclear responses or no responses have been an all too common thing uh that parents have been receiving. Upon requesting information on windowless rooms at Myers and across the district's elementary classrooms, uh no clear answers were really given. Um the district shifted conversation in its parent square responses citing the lack of or the the uh number of classrooms at high school level that are windowless. And I think we can agree that there's a very large difference between primary and secondary schools. Secondary schools rotate throughout the day which is much different than elementary. Um the board has seen several presentations on numbers. Sorry. So I respectfully ask that the the
027board uh responds to families more directly and honestly and I encourage the board also to perform a survey on uh Spanish immersion families currently at Myers to have a more accurate understanding of how students and families are being impacted by this transition. Thank you. >> Thank you. And we welcome John Duke. Right. Good evening. My name is John Dukich and my wife uh Diana who you heard from earlier and I have two kids in the Spanish immersion program at Myers Wilkins and I'm here because like you and other parents in the district, I want the best for my children. Um, you've heard lots of stories of the individual impacts that the transition has had on on families here. And I'd like to take a moment to look closely at the data presented um at the
028committee the whole uh meeting on October 7th and clarify where that data tells a very different story from what families are experiencing inside the classroom. uh the district described the class size data as showing and I'll quote kind of a lot of sameness um between Myers Wilkins and uh and LOL but when you compare the uh section site by sight um the picture is anything but the same and you can see in the handout that I that I just distributed um in the early grades where class sizes are most critical for learning the differences are striking in kindergarten there are 25 students at Meyers compared to an on average 17 1.5 at LOL. That's a 43% difference. In the first grade, it's 26 versus 19 1.5. That's 33%. Second grade, it's 23 versus 17 1.5.
029That's 31% larger. And in third grade, it's 28 versus 19. That's 47% larger um class sizes. While the total number of immersion sections hasn't changed, the distribution of students has become deeply unequal. And because Meyers Wilkins only has one section per grade, these disparities will persist through fifth grade. When the district announced the change, it was framed as a as an expansion initiative meant to broaden access and opportunity for students from low so low-income or socioeconomic and diverse backgrounds. But in practice, it functioned as an integration initiative that also helps solve overcrowding at LOL. These are both valid goals, but they're not the same as expanding access. Um, it was described as the vision for this program that expanding the the program to families who couldn't previously access Spanish immersion at law due to distance
030or transportation. And the spirit of this goal is admirable, but in reality, true expansion can't happen because the Myers Wilkins uh kindergarten section is already at capacity. And let's look at the data. In the October 7th presentation, the district reported that 44% of the kindergarteners at Meyers were from the Meyers boundary. That's 11 out of 25 students and that's compared to 10 Meyers Boundary students who opted into the uh program the kindergarten at LOL last year. That's one additional seat and that's not expansion. It's a shuffling from one building to another. Meaningful expansion and access for diverse students in the Myers boundary would require adding a second kindergarten section at Meyers Wilkins and upstream sections. And we recognize that the the duth public schools face real challenges balancing integration, enrollment, and equity. But as the
031Star Tribune reported this weekend about Minneapolis's own integration plan, 5 years after a controversial plan, the same equity and budget rows we remain. So we ask um for parity of opportunity and equitable access resources. Um we ask that you know that's that's the district's plan. We ask that the district simply uphold that uh vision. So, thank you. >> Thank you. Um do is is Katherine Disterhoff here? Seeing um Katherine is not here. That concludes our listening session for this October meeting. Thank you everybody who came. Um, we welcome you to our center and please stay for the rest of the business meeting