ADVERTISEMENTWe’ve heard it all before: higher test scores and graduation rates in the east, lower numbers in the west. But schools aren’t stew pots, and kids aren’t ingredients you toss in to make a better recipe. I’ve been around long enough to remember the outrage the last time Duluth re-engineered its schools. The foundation is the people inside: the students, teachers, and parents. John Grandson of Gnesen Township grew up and worked in the Duluth area and writes short stories in his retirement.