New MV-LA superintendent learning the ropes

By Traci Newell, Town Crier Staff Writer

New Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District Superintendent Barry Groves looks forward to following in predecessor Rich Fischer’s footsteps.

Since the board of trustees announced his hiring last month, Groves has been busy learning the ropes before his tenure officially begins July 1. He has toured district campuses, met with staff, teachers, students and board members, attended PTA meetings, worked with the MVLA Foundation, acquainted himself with the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce and participated in the Gay/Straight Alliance parade.

“I’m a hands-on superintendent. I get involved with the schools, so you will see me in a lot of classrooms, working with kids or out in the community,” Groves said. “I know Rich has done that, and I hope to follow in that tradition.

“My job is really to get in and see what’s happening in the district, and this past month has been a great opportunity to talk to people and see what’s working well and what needs working on,” he said.

Groves has nothing but praise for Fischer: “He is incredibly passionate about the kids - that is the thing that comes first. The sense of community is a big reason I was drawn to this area, and he has been a harness to connect the community and the school.”

Groves, who comes from the Cambrian School District in San Jose, has been in the education field for nearly 30 years. He is the longest-serving superintendent in Santa Clara County and worked for the Cambrian district for 14 years.

Like Fischer, Groves is personable and relational.

“I will miss seeing him coming through the schools and watching the children interact with him,” said Sue Pyne, president of the Cambrian School District Board of Trustees. “He’s taken the time to know all the people in the district on a personal level. He will be missed very much.”

San Jose City Councilmember Cindy Chirco, who was on the Cambrian School District Board of Trustees when they hired Groves in 1992, said Groves set goals and standards that allowed for educational enrichment and high test results. He campaigned for a bond that resulted in facilities renovations, she said, and also demonstrated a commitment to the community.

Cambrian’s loss is Mountain View-Los Altos’ gain, according to Fischer and board members.

“He and Rich get along very well,” said Judy Hannemann, MVLA board member. “I think he will be good in all aspects. He is willing to listen, but he’s also very thoughtful and organized.”

Groves discovered the position was open when Fischer announced his retirement at a county superintendent meeting earlier this year. Groves had applied for the position in the district when the board hired Fischer. Groves said he and Fischer have been friends for about nine years.

“This is the job he’s wanted for some time,” Fischer said. “I think the world of him, and he’s going to be great.”

Groves began his career as a high school teacher in Ukiah in 1977. He attended UC Santa Barbara on an athletic scholarship for track, and he received his teaching credential and a master’s degree in education. Groves later earned his doctorate at Stanford University. He was a principal in Sunnyvale and an assistant principal for curriculum at Crittenden Middle School in the Mountain View-Whisman Elementary School District.

“I’ve been in schools every September of my life,” Groves said. “I’ve either been attending the school or working for the school.”

He lives in Los Gatos with his wife Julie and son, Dylan, who just graduated from Bellarmine College Preparatory and will attend UC Berkeley in the fall. The Groves’ son, Holden, 21, attends Pomona College. Holden is currently working in Bolivia in a pediatric burn unit. Julie has her own business providing home therapy. About 30 percent of her clients are in the Mountain View-Los Altos area.

“It is great to be a part of a community,” Groves said. “I grew up in a small town. Los Altos is basically a small town or community unto itself.”

While Groves said he doesn’t have a list of specific plans for the district yet, he does have opinions about the face of schools today. “One of the most significant issues is trying to close the achievement gap and to make sure that all kids learn, not just the ones who are doing well,” he said.

He said it is important to make sure all the students are prepared to enter California State Universities, Universities of California or any other college a student selects.

Groves emphasized that his first priority is to maintain the high quality of the school district, while focusing on ways to improve. One of his first impressions of the Mountain View-Los Altos district, he said, was the community’s pride in the schools and what they are doing.

However, he said, the district doesn’t just want a caretaker. “The most important thing is that we (the board) work as a team. Their values are very similar to mine.”

He said if there were a myth about education he could dispel, it would be that people wrongly believe that education was better in the past. Groves said he thinks the quality of education is much better for high-schoolers today than when he was in school.

“The schools provide a type of ‘private school’ education,” he said. “They are doing that in a diverse school setting that reflects the global community we live in.”