Ms. Mireya
Office Manager

Ms. Maria Rogahn
Kindergarten Teacher

Over the past twenty years, Ms. Maria has taught and worked with students and families in preschool through high school communities in Albuquerque, Boston, outside the District of Columbia, Socorro, and Ghana, West Africa. In her free time, she enjoys improving her Spanish, sharing her energy and skills with Families United for Education (FUE) as well as efforts to enhance awareness of and erase the stigma surrounding eating disorders and other mental illnesses, gardening, reading, and exploring the outdoors with her husband as well as their two children and five dogs. When you meet Ms. Maria, be sure to ask her about the time that she almost stepped on a sleeping lioness in Botswana.

Ms. Leah
First Grade Teacher

Ms. Leah has been an educator of four years. She focuses on social justice, the counter narrative, and inclusive education. Ms. Leah recognizes that each student brings a unique perspective and experience to the classroom and each is valuable to the collective and to holistic growth. In her free time Ms. Leah enjoys spending time with her partner, three dogs, and two cats. She likes to camp and hike in the vast and beautiful nature of the Southwest. She likes to take road trips to explore the lands and to make connections to the past, present, and the future.

Mr. Duran
2nd/3rd Grade Teacher

Ms. Reyes
4th/5th Grade Teacher

My name is Ms. Reyes. My partner and I are new to New Mexico and Albuquerque. I taught 4th grade ELA, Social Studies, Writing, and Science at Indian Hills Elementary School in Gallup, and I did my student teaching at Jackson Middle School. I lived in the Midwest (Ohio and Illinois) for almost 10 years before coming to New Mexico, but I was born and raised in Jersey City, NJ. I am the child of Filipino immigrants, and I was raised by my grandparents. I love animals and currently live with three cats, two snails, and a rabbit. I also love to care for my plants, listen to podcasts, and follow my curiosity through research. I am honored that you have trusted me with your children, and I will work every day to make good on my commitment to providing an excellent learning experience for them. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me, and I look forward to meeting you!

Renae Smith
Math & Science Interventionalist

Renae has been working in New Mexico schools for 11 years. She has taught Kindergarten through 8th grade and has worked with older students as well. Prior to living in New Mexico, she lived in Washington, California, and Kentucky. Her goals are to collaborate with the Dorn Community to give students and families the best possible educational experience. She is endorsed in reading, visual arts, technology, and business. She enjoys researching and writing curriculum, gardening and being out in nature. Please contact her with any questions, ideas or needs. rsmith@dorncharterschool.org

Juan Gonzalez
Master Gardener

Mr. Gonzalez was born in an agricultural family in Sonora Mexico. He studied Ethnic Studies and Psychology at The University of New Mexico and reconnected to agriculture through the food and environmental justice movements in the South Valley of Albuquerque. Mr. Gonzalez is now proud and excited to educate and motivate students through gardening.

Dania Duran
SPED

Dania has been an educator since 2005. She holds a B.A. and a Masters in Education. Originally from San Diego, Dania moved to New Mexico in 2016. She was a SPED teacher in Belen, Severe/Cross Cap teacher in Rio Rancho and most recently an 8th grade social studies teacher for APS before coming to Dorn. She has 3 children and a granddaughter.

Moneka Stevens
Governing Council President

For the past 20 years Moneka has worked in community development and curriculum design focused on Positive Youth Development and youth leadership. She serves on the Board of Dorn Charter School, Together for Brothers, Institute for the Development of Economic and Educational Alternatives, and Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee. She earned her Master’s at the University of New Mexico in Community and Regional Planning. At Future Focused Education she serves as the Community Engagement Director supporting schools in shifting practices to be centered and driven by community. Future Focused Education envisions schools as sites of innovation and opportunity, where students become the creators of healthy and more prosperous communities. In partnership with the community Future Focused Education is designing a new frame that disrupts institutions' current structure of schooling embedded in the factory model and systemic racism. These new kinds of schools will be rooted in local wisdom with an assets-based approach that identifies the strengths and gifts that are already present in communities.

Diana Dorn-Jones
Founder & Governing Council Member

Diana was born and raised in Albuquerque.  She is a community organizer and a housing and economic development professional whose key interests include financing for affordable housing and small business development and advocacy on behalf of low-income people. She has over thirty years of experience working in corporate banking and community development. She served as the Chief Operating Officer for the City of Albuquerque overseeing all Departments with the exception of Police and Fire. Diana is currently the Executive Director of United South Broadway Corporation, one of Albuquerque's oldest non-profit Community Development Corporations that provides home ownership opportunities to low- and moderate-income households, support to small business owners and youth development and job training activities to youth living in Albuquerque's historic core neighborhoods. Diana has served on numerous Boards and Commissions and has represented the State of New Mexico on the Dallas Home Loan Bank Advisory Board, and on the Kansas City Federal Reserve Community Economic Development Advisory Board. She has served as a Commissioner and Vice-Chair of the City of Albuquerque's Economic Development Board, Chaired the City of Albuquerque Affordable Housing Committee and served as a Commissioner on the City/County Unification Board. Diana is a founding member of the Project Change Fair Lending Center and the Anti-Racism Institute of the Southwest (ARTI). She has organized community groups to implement the Community Reinvestment Act, bringing millions of dollars into the state for low-income housing and small business development. She was instrumental in passage of the NM Home Loan Protection Act. Diana has won numerous awards for her work and while she appreciates and values all that she has been recognized for, she is particularly proud of the city-wide League of Neighborhoods ''Neighborhood Leadership Award", the Albuquerque Human Rights" Bridge Award" and The YWCA "Woman of Vision Award", because these awards were in recognition of her role in promoting cross-cultural collaboration in the Albuquerque community--working in a spirit of inter-group cooperation and across racial, ethnic and cultural lines. Finally, Diana has a commitment to the education of the youth in her community. She founded the city’s first university assisted community school in collaboration with the University of New Mexico College of Education and the University of Pennsylvania. The community schools project places an emphasis on math and science and to that end she has developed award winning gardening projects and places conservation of the natural environment as the focal point of educational experiences for youth in the community. She later went on to initiate the Bosque Youth Conservation Corps that provides employment, skills development and a path to higher education and employment opportunities in forestry, agriculture and the emerging opportunities in sustainable energy.

Robert Blanquera Nelson
Governing Council Member

Robert is a Filipino immigrant, working for racial justice in Albuquerque, NM. He has worked in the non-profit sector for over 10 years. He has worked predominantly in homeless and housing services, having helped found Albuquerque’s first community housing-first initiative, Albuquerque Heading Home. Currently, he serves as the Program Manager for Pivotal New Mexico, specializing in developing resources and investments for New Mexico. He currently serves as the Chair for the Housing and Neighborhood Economic Development Fund Committee with the City of Albuquerque. He also serves as the Co-Chair for Asian American Association of New Mexico, working to build a vibrant Asian Pacific American community throughout the state. He also serves as a Board Director for the Filipino American Foundation of NM and the William and Josephine Dorn Charter School. Lastly, he is a community organizer for the Historic Neighborhoods Alliance in downtown Albuquerque. In his spare time, Robert is an avid swimmer and enjoys mobile video games, cooking, writing, reading, and playing guitar.

Rob Crandall
Governing Council Member

Rob brings over half a lifetime of varied experiences such as a parent, educator, counselor, administrator and reader of books. He’s spent time on the bottom of the ocean and running 60,000 miles on the streets of Albuquerque, contemplating his role in the world community. “I take from WWJDC a continual sense of wonder about the richness and promise of these young learners. My hope is to be able to assist the youth of WWJDC is small ways that positively impact their places of peace and leadership in the world.”

Kimber Bailey-Scott
Governing Council Secretary

Kimber is a parent and volunteer at WWJDC. She has previously served as a volunteer art teacher at Dorn and a reading teacher for Dorn’s after school book club called Dorn Good Readers. Professionally, Kimber is the Communications Director and the Director of 9 primary schools in Haiti for a non-profit, Promise for Haiti. She serves 1500-2000 Haitian children in their schools. Kimber is passionate about her family, Dorn and Haiti. She is an avid world traveler and enjoys cooking, making charcuterie boards, photography, thrift store shopping and hiking in National Parks.

Kiran Katira
Governing Council Member

Kiran is the UNM Community Engagement Center Director and a NACA (Native American Community Academy) Inspired Schools Network Fellow. Kiran was born in Kenya, is of Indian ancestry and was raised in England. She received her Ph.D. in Educational Thought and Socio-Cultural Studies at the University of New Mexico. Kiran has a teaching background and anti-bias curriculum development experience. For the past 23 years she has worked with community organizers and leaders through the UNM's Community Engagement Center, where she nurtures the antiracist leadership development of local youth. She is on several governing boards, including Dorn Charter Community School, NM Dream Team and NM Asian Family Center. Kiran is a national and local trainer in undoing racism, with the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond and teaches university courses on anti-racist education, peace and justice, and critical multicultural education.

Angela Vigil
Governing Council Member

Angela was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She recently retired after 39 years as an educator, 30 of those years were at Albuquerque High School where she graduated from in 1977. She is the former Instructional Coach at Dorn and has returned as a member of the Governing Council because she loves and believes in this school. Angela especially loves the racial diversity of the student body. She loves the connection that Dorn Community has with its families and how it welcomes and encourages family involvement in the school. In her free time, Angela loves to cruise her 1968 GTO that was her father's car. She would love to take you for a ride in her car sometime, just ask.