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.
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