Ana Mendoza

Interim Assistant Principal

Ana Mendoza, a retired principal from Denver Public Schools since 2020, has been in education for 45 years, 30 of those years in administration. Before retiring, she was the principal at West Early College at the West High School Campus. Her passion for equity and school improvement led to a strong trajectory and academic success for all students at West Early College. Her teaching background is in Special Education, Literacy, English Language Acquisition for second language learners and Deaf Education. Since retiring she has continued to serve Denver Public Schools as an Interim Principal, most recently at Columbian Elementary, Responsive Arts and Steam Academy, Hallett Elementary, Asbury Elementary, and Knapp Elementary. Before her years in Denver Public Schools, Ana served as an administrator in Boulder Valley, Ft. Lupton, Brighton, and El Paso, Texas.

She believes the role of an Interim Principal is to support all members of the community in the absence of a leader. She feels it is the responsibility of the Interim to build strong relationships to keep the campus safe while maintaining the established systems and organizational structures already in place. More importantly, she believes it is essential to support the social emotional welfare of students, staff, and community members dealing with the trauma or situation that may have caused the need for an Interim on their campus. Her own experiences as a first-generation Latina/ native american leader have driven her leadership and passion to inspire her school community to achieve that ultimate goal, no matter the challenges life may bring.