LETTER OF THE WEEK

After almost 25 years, I am retiring from the Newport-Mesa Unified School

District. I would like to say goodbye to the friends I have worked with

over the years. You are professional and loyal employees and I will miss

you. Thanks especially to the people at Whittier and College Park

schools.

I would also like to respond to the recent Daily Pilot story about

College Park School (“Education’s changing faces,” Oct. 21). In my

opinion, someone greatly misinformed your reporter. I have worked in the

office at College Park for five years and I must disagree with most of

the writer’s story. I am in total agreement with Bob Snyder’s letter of

Oct. 26. I, too, feel there are no racial tensions at our school that are

noticeable. In fact, our volunteers in the classroom and PTA equally

represent the makeup of our school. Everyone works well together for the

betterment of our children. White flight? We’ve had two families request

intradistrict transfers this school year. We’ve also had a number of

students coming to us this year from private schools.

Debbie England continues to be a spokeswoman for College Park. I don’t

understand this as her child left this school a year ago. We haven’t seen

Debbie attending any meetings so I doubt she really knows what’s

happening here.

Every school in our district needs things in an urgent way. However, it

is counterproductive to constantly call on board members and circumvent

site authority to do this. Board members are elected to set district

policy and, as a body, to provide direction to the school district. They

should never be called upon to micromanage the district. This is not

their job.

Our school climate is good -- the students are happy and want to learn,

our staff is the best and our principal is outstanding. We all need to

work together, because what we are is what our children become.

CAROL RAYA

office manager,

College Park School