TeWinkle principal calls for morale boost

Michael Miller

A Costa Mesa middle school principal who was accused last month of

discrimination has put together a plan to boost morale and to improve

relations with parents.

Earlier this week, Dan Diehl, principal of TeWinkle Middle School,

submitted a draft of his ideas to Newport-Mesa Unified School

District Supt. Robert Barbot. Among the 21 proposals are a bilingual

quarterly newsletter, a parent center on campus and

cultural-sensitivity training for all staff.

At the district’s June 14 board meeting, five women protested the

treatment of Latino children at TeWinkle, claiming that Diehl and

other administrators excessively disciplined and used slurs toward

Latino students.

One of the women, Mirna Burciaga, a parent at the school, filed a

formal complaint with the federal Office for Civil Rights.

Diehl, who said he has not read Burciaga’s complaint, said came up

with many of the ideas before the protests.

After the allegations were made, he added other proposals,

including one for a multicultural parent advisory committee that will

meet monthly.

“We want to give parents another open line of communication -- not

just if there’s a problem but if they have creative ideas for how to

make the school better,” said Diehl, who is entering his second year

as TeWinkle’s principal. “We want them to have their voices heard.”

In addition, the school plans to:

* Examine data of suspensions and expulsions to determine whether

Latino students receive harsher punishments than their classmates.

* Schedule meetings of the PTA and the English-language advisory

committee back-to-back, in hopes of getting more Latino parents in

the PTA.

* Invite parents to participate in the school’s staff retreat on

Aug. 30 this year.

* Include a section in the parent handbook explaining how to solve

problems at the school without going to the board of education.

Barbot said the proposals for TeWinkle are valuable regardless of

the case’s outcome.

“You can start getting defensive, but what you really want to do

is address the issue to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Barbot

said.

The Office for Civil Rights, which received Burciaga’s complaint

June 20, is still deciding whether to investigate. Neither the office

nor Burciaga has released the complaint to the public.

During the last two weeks, Newport-Mesa officials have looked into

the TeWinkle issue.

A team consisting of Diehl, TeWinkle Assistant Principal Tim

Tolzda, English-learner-programs director Karen Kendall and community

facilitator Amparo Ames has interviewed each of the parents who spoke

at the board meeting.

Although he would not comment on specific charges made against

him, Diehl said he was surprised by the parents’ remarks and that he

had not detected any ethnic conflict at TeWinkle, which is roughly

70% Latino and 30% white.

He also praised the work of Tolzda, who some of the parents

singled out in their criticisms.

“Mr. Tolzda is an incredible professional,” Diehl said. “He cares

about kids, and he cares about all kids. He has a passion for his job

that I know all the kids can see, and the parents who know him can

see. That’s what he’s there for.”

Since Burciaga and the others voiced their concerns, some have

defended Diehl and Tolzda. Liz McCormack, whose daughter attends

TeWinkle, said she had never heard of the principal discriminating

against students.

“I can’t even imagine it,” she said. “I don’t see him being the

type of person who would do that whatsoever. I’ve seen him at

after-school track meets, equally congratulating children on their

efforts and participation across the board, regardless of what race

they were.”