George Flores prides himself on being approachable. As Ferndale High School’s new assistant principal, he plans to do whatever it takes to connect with the students and make sure they know he’s a figure they can always talk to. If that requires putting a “twist” on the typical school administrator outfit, or joining in physical education exercises, then so be it.

“I’ll sport some Jordans with my suit,” Flores said with a chuckle. “I’ll play basketball with the kids, I’ll lift weights with them, because why not? I’ll always be approachable.”

Flores was hired this summer to fill the shoes of J.J. Jensen, who left his assistant principal position at FHS to become Vista Middle School’s new principal. Jensen made himself known as a friendly, warm figure, and Flores hopes to do the same.

“If we help the students enjoy school, they’re going to come to school,” he said. “That’s why my door will always be open, because I want to be there to help out.”

Flores grew up in South Texas, as the son of a migrant farm worker and an immigrant from Mexico. Both of his parents worked hard to earn college degrees to provide a better life for their kids, a message that resonated loudly.

“They instilled the importance of education in us,” Flores said of his parents.

After earning his own degree in teaching at Texas A&M University, Flores taught physical education and coached multiple sports in Brownsville, Texas, then Yakima (where he won a Teacher of the Year Award), and most recently Mount Vernon High School. At MVHS, he started dipping his toes into leadership roles as the P.E. department head and leadership roles of the high school’s equity, culture and safety teams.

When the assistant principal role opened up at Ferndale High School, Flores jumped at the chance to apply and work with Superintendent Dr. Kristi Dominguez and FHS Principal Rav Dhillon.

“Dr. Dominguez is awesome – she has that gravity, you want to work for that person,” he said. “Dr. Dominguez and Ms. Dhillon are two powerful women and I want to be a part of their team.”

One class at Mount Vernon that Flores led was Latinos In Action – a nationwide program focused on empowering Latinx youth to become leaders and preparing them for a successful life after graduation. Latinos In Action is launching this fall at FHS, and Flores will support the implementation of that program. He witnessed many students turn their lives around through the program.

“I always thought it was magical to see a student with a lot of Fs, but after three years in the program, now they have As and Bs,” Flores said. “That’s why I think Latinos In Action was a great program at Mount Vernon, and we’ll see how it does here in Ferndale.”

Flores has already made an effort to connect with Ferndale businesses and leaders, so he can integrate himself into the community fully. In particular, he gave a shoutout to baker and FHS graduate Barb O’Brine for her delicious pastries.

“One important thing my family did in Mount Vernon was going to the local businesses, so they got to see me not just on the job, but just as a person,” Flores said. “Getting to know the community will be a big piece for me this year.”

Flores’ wife, Stephanie Jones-Flores, is also a school leader – she’s the principal at Washington Elementary School in Mount Vernon. They have two children (Charlotte and Mateo) and two cats (Beast and Belle). In his spare time, Flores loves working out and fun family activities such as going to a lake.

Flores said he’s excited to start the school year and start working with Ferndale’s students, staff, and community.

“I’m here, and I’m ready to hit this job running at full speed,” he said. “I can’t wait until school starts.”