Our Team
Baylor Del Rosario, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Baylor began his teaching career in 1996 after attending the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ. He soon moved to New Mexico after being offered a position as a teacher in the Albuquerque area. Over the past 27 years, Baylor held positions as a teacher, principal, university faculty, and has worked at the Public Education Department (NMPED) as well as in child protective services with CYFD. Most recently, Baylor was a district administrator in Bernalillo Public Schools prior to coming to South Valley Prep. A first-generation American as the son of immigrants from the Philippines, Baylor’s passion for education began with his experience moving to the U.S. at the age of 10 and attending schools that were diverse and engaging in the San Francisco Bay Area. Baylor and his wife, Suzanne who is also an educator, have two grown children who attended dual language programs, while attending school in the Albuquerque and Las Cruces areas. Baylor is excited to be part of the South Valley Prep community and is eager to continue its mission of providing a quality middle school experience for students within a small, safe, family learning environment.
Aida Homs-Rivera, MA
Assistant Principal
Aida was born on the island of Puerto Rico and moved to New Mexico in 1999, to study at UNM and pursue her bachelor's and master's degrees in bilingual education with a concentration in multicultural education in "Language Literacy & Sociocultural Studies”. She is a mother, daughter, friend, and educator who calls New Mexico her second home. Aida is a certified Pre-K-12 educator with twenty years of experience in education. She was a Program Specialist and Early Childhood Trainer for the University of New Mexico. The State appointed her as an Anchor Trainer for the New Mexico Early Childhood Integrated Approach as well as a curriculum developer & Instructor for the online Cross Sector team of training, consultation, and instruction. As part of her administrator and educator career, she has experience working with children, families, and adults. Aida has worked in the districts of Puerto Rico, Las Vegas Nevada, Montgomery County, Bernalillo, Rio Rancho, and Albuquerque Public Schools and she feels her trajectory has prepared her and guided her to this job as an assistant Principal at South Valley Prep. Aida embraces diversity and values equity and wants to ensure to meet the needs of her South Valley Prep. school community as she efforts on running it in a safe and efficient manner. Helping students develop a self of identity and empower families to be part of our school communities by embracing their individual culture and heritage are a fundamental part of her school community vision.
Sonya Vigil
Business Manager
Sonya has worked in charter school finance since 2001 while raising our 5 children. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from UNM and believes that education is the basis for success into adulthood. She is a native New Mexican and enjoys reading and knitting in her free time. She is a graduate of Rio Grande High School and is proud to say she has established a home within three blocks of the high school - all her children attended RGHS and went on to obtain various college degrees. She recently obtained her Business Manager license from NMPED and is looking forward to working with the staff, students, and families of South Valley Prep.
Ramona Blea
Office Manager
Ramona is SVP’s office manager and she has been with us her whole career in schools being 5 years. Ramona’s favorite part of her job is working with a super-duper team and spending time with students.
Ashley Barranca
Assistant Business Manager
Ashley is our new Assistant Admin/Business Manager. She has been a part of the SVP family in a parent role for many years and is excited to join us as an employee. She has several years of Finance/Banking experience along with the experience of owning her own business. She is a longtime member of the South Valley, as she was born and raised here with her seven younger siblings. Ashley and her husband Ray have three daughters and one son who keep them very busy. While juggling careers, school, dance, and baseball their favorite thing to do is spend time with family.
George Aho
P.E. & Health Teacher
Santana Avila
8B Homeroom, Science B Strand
Santana is our school's science teacher, she has been with us her whole career as a teacher being 1 year. Santana’s favorite part of her job is making kids smile by teaching them science.
William Bittner
7B Homeroom, Humanities B Strand
Mr. Bittner was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He grew up on the outskirts of Albuquerque’s South Valley, on the west side of town, near West Mesa High School. The relationships he developed growing up, immersed him in Spanish-speaking households which has greatly aided in his basic fluency of the Spanish language. He attended some of the best schools in the state including: Sunset Mesa Elementary School, Sandia Preparatory School, and ultimately the University of New Mexico where he was a two-time Dean’s List scholar and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Education. He uses these academic experiences to help him with his teaching at South Valley Prep every single day. Mr. Bittner was a multi-sport athlete who played basketball at the varsity level for Sandia Prep. He is passionate about sports, dogs, and cars; and he looks forward to turning his automotive passion into a new “Automotive Basics 101” elective course for 8th graders at SVP. Mr. Bittner has just recently completed his 8th year at SVP teaching humanities and reading, and he looks forward to many more years to come!
Edward Blea
7A Homeroom, Humanities A Strand
I am Edward Blea . I have been teaching at SVP for seven years. I have taught Science, Reading, Writing, and Humanities. I also coach the flag football team. I am from Albuquerque and grew up in the South Valley. I have a bachelors degree in Social Studies from the University of New Mexico and a Masters degree in Secondary Education from the University of Phoenix. Teaching is my second profession. I am a retired police officer from the Albuquerque Police Department and I worked there 21 years.
I am married to my beautiful wife Melanie. I have two sons, Zac and Aaron, from a previous marriage and also have three grandchildren. I love sports especially football. I also love watching movies and reading comic books.
Bianca Caraveo
Special Education Teacher
Bianca has been working for the school as a teacher for 1 month but has been working in total for 9 years. Bianca’s favorite thing about her job is teaching and working with students. Watching students succeed.
Nora Chavez-de Montano
21st Century Coordinator
Nora has been working for the school for 10 years as a co-nurse but in total, she has been working for 29 years. Nora’s favorite thing about her job is the community, students, staff, food pretty much everything about her job.
Margaret (Peggy) Davis
School Nurse
Margaret has been working for the school as a Nurse for 5 years but has been working in total for 5.5 years. Margaret’s favorite thing about her job is the people, especially Nora.
Maria 'Mari' Duarte
Parent Liasion
Maria is a Native New Mexican born and raised in Albuquerque she's excited to be the new bilingual parent liaison and is enthusiastic about working with parents, students, and teachers gathering information to keep everyone informed about what's going on in the school.
Liza Gallegos
Cafeteria Manager
Liza Gallegos has worked at SVP for 4 months but has volunteered over the years.
Jessika Hughes
Special Education Teacher
While Jessika Hughes graduated from UNM in 2008, her teaching career began nearly 28 years ago while stationed in Japan, as an Air Force dependent wife. She taught conversational English to Japanese preschoolers, teens, and adults for a company called Joy English. Her third child was born in Japan, a son, whom she resisted naming Yoshi, barely. His birth was followed by a second daughter, born in Germany; where her growing family was also stationed for two years. Mrs. Hughes' final experience overseas was at a base in Lakenheath, England where she substitute taught for the Department of Defense schools, finding her niche in middle school. Her state side teaching experiences span the grade levels and include schools in both Michigan and New Mexico. In the past 15 years, Mrs. Hughes has worked for Rio Rancho Public Schools as both an English and social studies teacher, earning Teacher of the Year in 2010. In 2014, she found her way to charter schools and has since enjoyed the smaller class sizes, family focused nature, and experiential learning of such schools as: The ASK Academy, North Valley Academy, and last year, as the Director of Special Ed Services at SAMS Academy. This year, Mrs. Hughes looks forward to getting to know the students and families of South Valley Preparatory School as well as supporting teachers in their classrooms to meet the needs of all students as the head teacher of special education services.
Albert Lucero
Janitorial Service Provider
Albert is a janitorial service provider at SVP, he has been working with our school for 4 years and that long in total. Albert’s favorite part of his job is making a difference in the appearance of the school and making a difference.
Leslie Marks
Special Education Teacher
Leslie started her career in education twenty-five years ago when she was just a parent running a 24-hour 7 day a week childcare center here in Albuquerque. Leslie fell into homeschooling her oldest son and then decided to pursue college here in New Mexico for her certification in elementary education and then later for literacy/reading instruction in her home state of New York. Leslie has experience teaching youth and adults in a variety of educational facilities: public, private, religious, and correctional schools in NM, NY, as well as Maryland and West Virginia. Her specialty is Reading instruction, but also has multiple certifications in Special Education, English Language Arts, Social Studies, and even Option Pathway/GED. Leslie is very passionate about serving others. She spends her time outside of school: tutoring, babysitting, providing elder/hospice care, and running a room rental business for other professionals. She returned to Albuquerque a few years ago, where she lives with her two Siamese cats and just down the road from her two adult sons and her young grandson. Leslie is excited to be part of the South Valley Prep community and looks forward to a productive academic year.
Elsa Martinez
6B Homeroom, Math B Strand
Graduated high school in Artesia New Mexico. Attended UNM college of education and graduated with a K-8 bachelor's degree in Education with a concentration in Mathematics. Bilingual fluent in both Spanish and English. Did student teaching at La Mesa Elementary school, taught at Washington Middle School.
Carmela Montez
6A Homeroom, Math A Strand
I am in my 27th year of teaching; 15 years at Kit Carson Elementary School and 12 years at South Valley Prep. I am a founding member of South Valley Prep. The Charter was certified by the state of New Mexico in 2009. I am the 8A Homeroom teacher; math teacher for 6, 7, 8; I teach reading, Spanish Language Arts and for the first time this year, Science Olympiad as an elective! My identity is my superpower! - A. Ferrera
Isabel Roman
Receptionist
Charles A. Smith Jr
Athletic Director & Educational Assistant Reset Classroom
Tracey Trimble
Counselor/Social Worker
Tracey was raised in Albuquerque’s South Valley and attended East San José and Los Padillas Elementary schools, Polk Middle School and graduated from Rio Grande High School. Tracey began her career in social work in 2013 after attending NM Highlands University receiving both a Bachelor’s (2012) and Master’s degrees in social work. Over the past 10 years, Tracey has held several different positions as a licensed social worker in community mental health, public charter school, acute psychiatric care in adult corrections, and as an individual and family clinician. Tracey’s passion and desire for social work began in 2003 when becoming a CYFD foster parent. Tracey is a single parent of two teenagers, adopted from foster care as toddlers, and training them to blossom into young adults. As a single parent, Tracey understands a need for families and individuals (children to adulthood) to have resources and support to develop and maintain healthy emotional/mental health, interpersonal relationships and coping skills. Tracey is excited to be on the team of staff and a support for the youth and families at South Valley Preparatory.
Tatyana Trujillo
Community Schools Coordinator
Tatyana is our Community Schools Coordinator, she has been working in schools for 1 year which has been with us. Tatyana’s favorite part of her job is making fun activities for the students to enjoy.
Louie R. Tuan
8A Homeroom, Science A Strand
Louie finished his Bachelors in Elementary Education in 2016 from Sultan Kudarat State University. He decided to continue growing his professional career at Mindanao State University by obtaining a Master of Arts in Education with a Major in Educational Management. Louie continued earning units in Special Education at Laguna National University. He has experience teaching elementary and middle school students. During his teaching profession in the Philippines, he was recognized as district facilitator in Math/Science and coached boys’ athletics. Loui taught at Carroll Christian School-Westminster in Maryland and prior to joining us at South Valley Prep he was teaching mathematics at MAS Charter School. He feels a great responsibility of an educator is to educate the students to be more responsible, disciplined, and productive citizens of the country.
Margarito Uranga
Art Teacher
Mr. Uranga, is a Native of New Mexico, born and raised in Carlsbad New Mexico. He’s a graduate from Carlsbad Senior High School and attended NMSU where he majored in Art Education. He comes to you with over twenty years in Education. He currently has a Masters and over 50 college credits. He is also a graduate of ENMU and the University of Phoenix with a major in School Administration and Curriculum. I was also recognized as a NMSU Alumni in 1987.
During my instructional service years, my students have been recognized at the State Level for creative achievement and student’s work placed at the Governor’s Gallery. I served the Tucumcari School District over eight years and the Carlsbad School District six years. My Student’s also participated in State Competitions along with New State Fair Exhibits.
In 1988, I was offered my first opportunity in School Leadership, where I served over 17 years as a Principal, Director and a School Superintendent.
I retired in Arizona in 2007 while my wife continued toward her retirement. I did not fully retire but chose to continue to teach for TUSD, in Tucson Arizona.
