After working in education for over 20 years, Denise Loera has joined the Brahma team of instructional deans, taking charge of the Mathematics, Health and PE departments on campus.

“I applied for it [dean position] because it was a good opportunity to work with some talented teachers that I know of here on campus, and work side by side with them. It also allows me a chance to see former students, as they aspire to proceed their higher education,” Loera said.

Before working at Diamond Bar High School, Loera worked at Chaparral Middle School as a math department chair, a Walnut Valley Unified School District technology coach, a Beginning Teacher and Support Assessment mentor and a co-founder of the Hispanic Organization for Parents in Education. She was also involved in advising extracurriculars such as Future Business Leaders of America, MathCounts and Robotics.

Loera attributes much of her preparation for the position to studies she did at UCLA. Loera also said that she sought informal help from colleagues who have been or are currently serving as deans.

Loera will oversee the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, a standardized exam distributed to 11th graders covering English, Math and Science. She also manages credit recovery, which allows students to retake a failed course through other means to receive academic credit.\

Having started officially in July, Loera replaced prior Instructional Dean Matthew Brummet, who became the assistant principal at Suzanne Middle School.  

“As far as goals and expectations—focusing on student achievement, supporting the learner and being a department chair—those roles kind of intertwine with this one because again, you are supporting a lot of the staff whether with resources, materials, ideas; the collaborative piece together,” Loera said.

Loera will join Nicole Cabase, Gabriel Aguilar and Julie Galindo as the fourth instructional dean on campus.