State officials visit campus to investigate charges

Danette Goulet

WESTSIDE -- Officials from the California Office of Civil Rights paid

a visit to TeWinkle Middle School last week to follow up on a complaint

alleging that schools in the district are sabotaging Latino students’

educations.

In January, Mirna Burciaga of Costa Mesa filed charges with the

California Department of Education. She focused on 10 bullet points outlining the Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s shortcomings,

including one that began: “Students at all sites are often placed on a

track for failure.”

Among her charges, Burciaga alleged that English-language learners at

TeWinkle are not getting the education they are entitled to by law.

She also complained that students are put into mainstream classes

before they are ready and without parental consent.

TeWinkle Principal Sharon Fry denied the charges made by Burciaga.

All students are to be exposed to math, science and English, Fry said.

While not all English learners are taking science classes, those students

are taking two language-development classes, social studies, math,

physical education and an elective class such as art or music.

Burciaga also alleged that TeWinkle’s administration and PTA group

kept Latino parents out of the loop and denied them a voice at the

school, which both Fry and PTA President Jill Money denied.

State officials from the Office of Civil Rights visited the campus

last week to investigate the charges.

“The process is, they come and do a visit based on the complaint,” Fry

said. “They may make recommendations to the district and school site

based on what they saw on that visit.”

Fry said she and the visitors reviewed policies, class size and

enrollment. While state officials made no assertions as to whether they

felt the complaints were valid, Fry said she felt the visit went well.

“I thought it was a very positive visit,” she said. “I think we’re

always looking for ways to improve.”

Fry said she did not know when the investigators would make their

recommendations.

Burciaga did want to comment Tuesday, but said that she would wait

until after a meeting with district officials next week on the matter.