Candidate for
Member, Governing Board; Ontario-Montclair School District; Full Term

I am Michael C. Flores, a candidate for the Board of Trustees of the Ontario-Montclair School District. I am a fourth-generation native of Ontario, and a former student in the district, through the eighth grade. I have been teaching since 1991, currently holding two teaching credentials, in addition to a doctorate in education. My current assignment is the professoriate in global history at Cypress College. I have been active in the community, volunteering for my church, the First United Methodist Church of Upland, in many aspects, and the Forgiving for Living foundation (forgivingforliving.org), with its mission to help underprivileged youth. This is in addition to my professional activities. I am a single parent of two daughters, raising them solely for more than a decade. I understand the pressures of today's parents and teachers, and I can bring that experience to the board as a member. More to the point, school boards need to be responsive to their communities, not only to outside forces which may challenge a community's vision. Parents and teachers should be the leaders of our schools; as a parent and a teacher, my candidacy is a most serious proposition.