Bergeson wins strong Senate approval

Jessica Garrison

NEWPORT BEACH -- The California Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday

in favor of keeping Newport Beach resident Marian Bergeson on the State

Board of Education. “I’m most grateful for the strong support,” said

Bergeson, who served in the state Assembly and Senate, and was then-Gov.

Pete Wilson’s education secretary in 1996. She vowed to continue working

for high standards and greater parental involvement in schools.

Bergeson, who already serves on the state board, had been appointed by

Wilson in September 1998 but had not yet been approved by the Senate.

While the Senate voted 36-2 to approve her, teachers unions and some

Latino groups lobbied against Bergeson’s nomination, charging that she

does not support Latino students or teachers’ rights.

Bergeson said she does not understand this criticism, and noted that

her daughter, Julie McCormick, is a bilingual educator who has just been

appointed principal of Costa Mesa’s Pomona Elementary, a school with a

large Spanish-speaking population.

“I was disappointed that my colleagues did not vote no,” said Sen. Joe

Baca (D-Rialto), who spearheaded the move against Bergeson, charging that

she is not “geared toward the diversity” of California’s students.

Bergeson said she would spend the next three years of her four-year

term working to help all students.