San Gabriel, CA — Michael A. Cervantes is being recognized
by Continental Who's Who as a Lifetime
Achiever for his dedication to the Education field and in acknowledgment of
his many years of outstanding service to the El Rancho Unified School District.
A seasoned educator with nearly 40 years of experience in
his field, Michael Cervantes most recently served as a second-grade teacher for
the El Rancho Unified School District, in Pico Rivera, Calif., from 2005 until
his retirement in 2010.
In pursuit of his teaching career, Mr. Cervantes obtained a
Bachelor of Arts in English from California State College in 1971. He
subsequently earned a Master of Arts in Education in 1978 and another Master of
Arts in Chicano Studies in 1985, also from California State. He is a certified
elementary teacher and bilingual specialist in the State of California.
Mr. Cervantes began his teaching career with El Rancho
Unified School District in 1979. During his tenure, he taught kindergarten
through fifth grades. He was also chairman of the school district and a teacher
of Spanish as a second language through the Gifted and Talented Education
Program.
During his tenure, Mr. Cervantes also served the school
district as chairman of the language arts component, secretary for school-wide
effectiveness, chairman of the essay, literacy and leadership committees, and
non-union representative of the Phase II Budget Committee. He additionally
served as principal judge of the computer competition at South Ranchito Elementary
School from 1985 to 1992.
Following his retirement, Mr. Cervantes has continued his
valuable service to the El Rancho Unified School District, remaining as a
member of the Strategic Planning Task Force, on which he has served since 1991.
He additionally serves as vice president and member of the negotiation team for
elementary issues for the El Rancho Federation of Teachers, as well as a member
of the alumni association scholarship committee of California State University,
Los Angeles.
In recognition of his professional achievements, Mr.
Cervantes received the San Gabriel Mission High School Alumni Recognition Award
in 2019. He was recognized by the Chicano/Latino Department's spring 2019
newsletter under their Alumni Profile. He is also incredibly proud of
developing the bilingual/bi-cultural program for the El Rancho Unified School
District, where he worked with young students who were learning English as a
second language.
On a personal note, Mr. Cervantes wishes to dedicate this
honorable recognition to his parents, John and Bertha Cervantes, and his
mentor, Dr. Roberto Cantu.
