Candidate Q and A: Cory Ellenson

Glendora Patch asked the candidates for Glendora Unified School Board to answer questions before the Nov. 5 election. All the candidates answered the same questions via email.

The fourth Q&A is from candidate Cory Ellenson.

Name: Cory Ellenson
Age: 27
Occupation: Tax Attorney

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your background and why you should be elected or reelected to the GUSD School Board.

I am a third-generation Glendoran. My grandparents moved to Glendora in 1957 to raise my mom and uncles, all of whom graduated from Glendora High School. My mom liked Glendora so much that she chose to stay and raise my brother and me. I graduated from Glendora High School, USC School of Accounting, and UCLA School of Law. I am currently employed as a tax attorney for the United States Department of the Treasury. I married my high-school sweetheart Natalia, and we have settled in Glendora, where we plan to raise a family. Not only is Glendora my past, it is my family’s future. As a third-generation Glendoran and GHS graduate, I am passionate about preparing EVERY student, whether college-bound or not, from kindergarten through 12th grade, for success in a rapidly changing, highly competitive, global economy

I am running for Glendora School Board because public education is moving forward in this country. The stated goal of the federal and state departments of education is better preparation for a competitive, global society. This has always been my goal for the students of Glendora Unified, and was the motivating force behind my first run for Glendora School Board in 2011. I have experienced firsthand the rigorous competition in modern college admissions, demands of college courses, and difficulty securing a job in a tough economy. I want to share what I have learned and experienced with the next generation of Glendora graduates to better prepare them to meet these challenges with success. The Glendora School Board is ready for someone with a fresh perspective and new ideas, someone who is in touch with students and knows firsthand the challenges they are facing.

2. What do you think distinguishes you from other candidates? What do you bring to the table?

I offer a perspective, skills, and experience that are all unique to our current board. I have the perspective of a Glendora graduate who has recently experienced the challenges awaiting our students after graduation, and I am a tax attorney with an accounting background. I am also a dedicated community servant. I am treasurer of the Glendora Kiwanis Club, a tutor at Stanton Elementary School, a volunteer with the Glendora Education Foundation, a master mason in the Glendora Masonic Lodge, and a team caption with the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

3.  What kind of experience do you have working with budgets?

As a federal tax attorney, I am presented with budgets every day. My profession requires me to examine and scrutinize all imaginable budgets and financial statements, from the smallest small business to multinational corporations. My educational background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from USC, where I studied generally accepted accounting principals, bookkeeping standards, financial statements, budgets, and reporting obligations. Additionally, as treasurer of the Kiwanis Club of Glendora, I am solely responsible for preparing and presenting monthly budget reports to the board of directors, as well as answering all budget-related questions throughout the fiscal year.

4. What are your thoughts on Local Control Funding Formula? How do you think this will impact Glendora Unified?

The Local Control Funding Formula is a term to describe the new method of funding K-12 education in California. This new funding formula completely changes the way public education is funded in California. This change was just announced this year, and thus it is too early to know with any degree of certainty exactly how this change will affect Glendora Unified. However, we do know that the new funding formula is based on principles of increasing local control, deregulation, and need-based funding. All school board members across California are starting from scratch, learning this new funding formula together. The timing is ideal for a new school board member to tackle this issue with fresh eyes, and to learn the new funding formula together with fellow school board members.

5. What are the most pressing issues facing Glendora Unified? How do you think the district should approach or resolve these issues?

The 2013-14 school year marks the beginning of a major transition to a completely new standards-based method of public education in this country called Common Core. The federal government passed legislation that requires all public school districts in the United States to educate their students based on federally established Common Core standards. This means that teachers are required to teach based on new and different standards, teachers need new materials to teach based on this new method, and students will be assessed with new computer-based individualized assessments and not STAR “fill in the bubble” testing. This change, much like the shift to the Local Control Funding Formula in California, is still in its very early stages. All teachers, students, administrators, and school board members are learning together how to adopt and incorporate Common Core into their school districts.

Adapting to the new Local Control Funding Formula and the new Common Core standards are the two most pressing issues facing Glendora Unified. It is imperative that the school board work closely together with teachers, administrators, parents, students, foundation members, and taxpayers to ensure that all stakeholders are informed and heard.