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Photograph courtesy of Sherri Caracillo
Gary McCue is the newest Cupertino Union School District board trustee. McCue was elected to the board in November 2001.
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McCue works to stay on target
CUSD board member says he's out to help the schools, not change the world
By GEORGE MOORE
He is not afraid to ask the tough questions and looks at issues with a "big picture" perspective. He realizes he can have a positive impact, but can't change the world. He understands the needs of the educational community. He is newly elected Cupertino Union School District trustee Gary McCue.
"We need to think of ourselves as a school district and not a district of schools," McCue said.
There are 24 schools in the district, and McCue said parents tend to work toward the betterment of the individual school their child is attending.
"We need to try and broaden that way of thinking, so people are focusing on the school district as opposed to the school," he said.
McCue cited an example of how sometimes large donations are given to individual schools--donations he feels should benefit all schools within the district. He said the Cupertino Educational Endowment Fund has been doing a good job working toward that.
Karen Barrett, principal of Collins Elementary School, said she has known McCue for about five years.
"As a parent, Gary was always looking at the total picture--not just what would benefit his son, but what was best for all children in the school district," Barrett said. "He was always willing to hear all sides, even in disagreement. If things didn't turn out quite the way he wanted, he would still back it."
McCue began his progression of involvement in the school district when his son Daniel, a seventh-grader at Miller Middle School, first started school. McCue has attended CUSD board meetings for the past three years and ran for a seat two years ago. He said he understands the importance of obtaining a good background of issues involving the school district.
"If I came into the district fresh, it would take a lot longer to figure out how things work--what kind of contributions you can make and what questions to ask," McCue said. "Because if you aren't prepared and don't ask the questions, then you may have missed an opportunity."
And when there is an opportunity to get involved, said Michael Gallagher, principal of Miller Middle School, McCue is committed to the success of schools in the district.
"He has been the kind of parent volunteer who rolls up his sleeves to provide activities for kids and to raise money for programs," Gallagher said.
Dubbed an area leader in the successful Measure C Bond campaign last Spring by Gallagher, he said it was a role in which McCue excelled.
"He organized volunteers, communicated with many diverse constituencies in the community, and he selflessly offered his own time and energy for the improvement of our community's schools," Gallagher explained.
McCue grew up in Kansas City, Mo., and often went to the Lake of the Ozarks when he was a Boy Scout. He said he loves canoeing down river rapids and is a former Cub Scout leader. He said he still tries to go on as many Boy Scout campouts as he can with his son.
McCue met his wife, Louise Wong, while teaching computer classes in Hong Kong in the early 1980s. His computer background has helped him in his current field of technical writing.
The number one issue McCue said he has been working on for the past two years is equalization funding. He said he was one of the founding members of the Cupertino Coalition, which has been working with the state to try to ensure yearly funding.
"It's a huge problem," McCue said. "Equalization is supposed to represent an ongoing source of money. When it becomes a one-year source, it makes it difficult to pay ongoing expenses like teachers' salaries. We have to go back to the table each year until we get it right."
Teachers' salaries are basically geared for providing security with pensions and good benefits, but the salaries are low, he said. The fact that half of the district's teachers leave within five years shows that the system is not working.
"Mainly, I believe it's because they want to raise a family and the salaries are not enough to keep them in the profession," McCue said. "And many leave the area so they can afford to buy a home and continue teaching."
McCue said Cupertino has an excellent school district because of the combination of good and caring teachers, involved parents and children who want to learn. He said he wants to change the turnover ratio and keep good teachers in the district.
McCue said he has no plans to someday run for city council, but is a believer in supporting candidates that share his beliefs.
"If you want your government to work well, you've got to get involved," McCue said. "And that means supporting the people that you think are going to do the best job at representing, not just yourself, but the vision of where you'd like things to be. If you want to make forward progress, you need to choose people who think outside of the box. If you don't make changes, the world is going to change around you."
McCue said the district must figure out where the real needs are and use the few resources it has to address them.
"I think there's room to ask the tough questions--about the budget--and where we're directing our resources, the main one being our personnel," he said.
McCue has attended a few meetings since the November elections, and he said members are trying to establish more of a dialogue.
"It's important to build consensus, but as a first step, you need to be able to understand what other people are saying and why they're saying it," McCue said. "Instead of speaking to the issue, we need to speak to each other."
McCue said he thinks the members are on the same page in their way of thinking, and said they need to figure out what is most important for the children of the school district, not what is most important for the parents.
"Sometimes it can be a hard separation to make," he said.
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Cupertino, California Since 1947
