Los Altos Town Crier endorses

By Susan McGhie

We see a clear need for more transparency in the way Cupertino Union School District officials communicate with the public. For this, among other reasons, we are endorsing Lynette Lee Eng, incumbent Ben Liao and Susan McGhie for the three open seats.

October 18, 2005

We see a clear need for more transparency in the way Cupertino Union School District officials communicate with the public. For this, among other reasons, we are endorsing Lynette Lee Eng, incumbent Ben Liao and Susan McGhie for the three open seats.

To quote one candidate, the 16,500-student district is doing well but can do better. District officials can start by taping their board meetings again, a practice they stopped after approving raises for two assistant superintendents in April. Officials may be justified in the pay raises, but that hasn't been well communicated to the public. Electing information-access advocates Eng, Liao and McGhie will change that.

Eng has the ambition and determination to make changes for the better. At Montclaire School in Los Altos, she initiated a Mandarin immersion program. Liao has long opposed the district's pay raises for administrators. As a member of the state's school board association, he has lobbied to increase funding in the district which has been among the lowest in the county. McGhie, an active parent who has been involved in a variety of school roles, wants to improve working conditions for teachers. Eng, Liao and McGhie represent a step forward.

http://www.latc.com/2005/10/19/comment/comment1.print.html