Britton Middle School science teacher George Flores, an inspirational educator and pioneer who allowed local kids the ability to explore far away places they may never have reached, passed away in the early morning hours June 20 at Hospice of Stanford Hospital, according to district staff.
Flores, 65, who retired earlier this school year due to his bout with cancer, was the founder and lead organizer of Britton’s Volcano Kids Club. In this capacity, local students, accompanied by Flores and parent chaperones, embarked on adventures to the Hawaiian Islands to explore volcanoes and, more recently, to Costa Rica to explore its natural landscapes.
“This is a tremendous loss for the Bobcat Community,” Britton principal Chris Moore said. “George was a shining star. He was the person that encouraged everyone, and (he was) someone that every student looked up to.”
A strong advocate for mathematics and sciences, Flores, who started working at Morgan Hill Unified in 2007, was known as a leader and organizer throughout the district by his enthusiasm for students. The Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 Educator of the Year was instrumental in establishing Britton’s Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for students, which became a model program for schools in California.
“He cared deeply for his students, for his colleagues, and our school is a better place because of him,” Moore continued. “George’s impact on this campus and community is immeasurable; he will be deeply missed.”
Flores, who also enjoyed photography, fishing and backpacking, allowed students to flourish inside and outside the classroom. He established the Volcano Kids providing world travel science experiences for students from all walks of life.
“I get excited when they’re excited,” Flores said back in 2015, smiling as he talked about some of the trips he has taken with students over his then eight years at Britton, such as to the Exploratorium in San Francisco.
His advocacy for students instigated the district’s Math Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) club for students who are the first in their families to attend college.
On top of that, Flores valued the photographic record of all student experiences and volunteered as the resident photographer for any event, including the school science fair. Along with colleague and fellow Britton science teacher Jim Levis, he encouraged countless students to push the boundaries through experimentation for their projects in the Britton science fair.
“George Flores was a treasure in our community and his work will have an incredibly positive impact and presence in our community for generations,” said Superintendent Steve Betando in an email to all MHUSD staff. “Our hearts are with his wife Debbie and his family at this time.”
Besides leading the science and school activities, Flores helped establish and lead other community committees, including as a founding member of Project Roadmap, which brings support and conferences promoting collegiate avenues for students and their families.
The district is providing a team of counselors for students, teachers and staff from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. June 22 at Britton, located at 80 W. Central Ave
Students who would like to write a note of remembrance may do so. Notes can be dropped off at the Britton office between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. A temporary memorial will be set up in Room 28 to display those notes.
The district will share information regarding services as it becomes available.
Before joining MHUSD, Flores, who earned his Bachelor’s degree and Masters in Education from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, began his teaching career in 1993 as a physical science and biology teacher with Carpinteria Unified School District. In 2004, Flores, who later earned a CLAD credential from UC-Santa Barbara, moved to the Santa Maria Joint Union High School.
