With credence on both sides, truth must be sought

We wrote, in November 2001, that Newport-Mesa students in the

district’s English-language learner programs would one day be able to

thank parent and Costa Mesa businesswoman Mirna Burciaga for the

quality of their education.

For years, Burciaga had waged a battle to improve the Newport-Mesa

Unified School District’s teaching, with a focus on TeWinkle Middle

School. The fight was highlighted by her bringing the federal

government to her side when she complained that the district was

depriving English-language learners of a complete education by

keeping them in too many language classes. The resulting attention

forced the district to step up its teaching -- which, to its credit,

it did quickly and willingly -- and create a better learning

environment for all its students.

Burciaga followed her victory with a run for the Costa Mesa City

Council and a brief tenure on the city’s Parks and Recreation

Commission. She took on a leadership role for the city’s Latino

population -- which is about one-third of the city and a majority of

the Westside -- and has been a credible voice in discussions about

the city’s development.

With her background, Burciaga is not easily ignored. And so

charges she made to the district last week that TeWinkle

administrators have mistreated Latino students -- charges she since

has taken to the federal Office for Civil Rights -- also must be

taken seriously. Among her complaints, which she made along with four

other Latina women, are that the school’s leaders have made ethnic

slurs against Latinos and often disciplined them excessively.

These are serious, troubling allegations. The school district, led

by Supt. Robert Barbot, already has begun investigating what, if any

credence, there is to the complaints. District officials deserve

applause for so quickly embarking on this probe, as do TeWinkle

Principal Dan Diehl and Vice Principal Tim Tolzda. Each is meeting

with the women who have raised the charges, seeking ways to improve

the relationship between the school’s administration and its parents.

We are pleased, as we are sure others in the community are, that

these meetings are happening so fast. We wonder, also, whether they

won’t find that the charges are more the product of misunderstanding

or miscommunication than of bad intentions on the part of TeWinkle

administrators. For as much as Burciaga has built up strong

credibility, Diehl and Tolzda have strong support from many parents

at the school who say they are wonderful leaders.

That support also is not easy to dismiss. We hope the district and

federal government’s searches manage to find out where, exactly, the

truth is.