Welcome to the Director of Instruction's website. 

    If you have any questions concerning curriculum and instruction, please contact  our Director of Instruction,

  Dr. Catherine Collins, Ph.D.

    Email:  catcol@taosschools.org 

Contact Information:

Phone Number:  (505) 758-5203        Fax Number:  (505) 758-5298

Mailing Address:

213 Paseo del Canon

Taos, NM  87571

    Dr. Catherine W. Collins grew up in Ranchos de Taos (La Cordillera). She is the 7th of 10 children and daughter to Max (deceased) and Loyola Gonzales. As a child Catherine attended St. Francis School and Ranchos Elementary, Taos Junior High and Taos High School and graduated in 1977 from Taos High School. Catherine married Kevin Collins in 1987 and together they have one son, Joaquín, who attends Ranchos Elementary.

    Upon graduation from high school, Catherine began working for the Taos Municipal Schools as an Educational Assistant at the Taos High School Reading Lab while simultaneously taking college classes through NM Highlands University as part of the Title VII Mini-Corp Program. Catherine then moved on to the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Education July 1982 and a Master’s Degree in 1990.

    Catherine’s 22 year teaching career included teaching in the following school districts, Peñasco, the NM Boys’ School in Springer, St. Francis in Ranchos, and in Santa Fe. The majority of these years were with the Santa Fe Public Schools. While in Santa Fe, Catherine taught at several schools and served as the District’s Bilingual Coordinator. Most recently, Catherine worked with NM Public Education Department as an Education Administrator in the Instructional Support Division.

    Catherine began pursuing a Doctorate Degree in 1998. During this period, Catherine taught several courses for the University of New Mexico main campus. In May 2006 Catherine was awarded a Doctorate Degree (Ph.D.) in Language, Literacy, and Socialcultural Studies from the University of New Mexico.

    Dr. Collins feels that her career has finally come full circle returning to the Taos Municipal Schools as the Federal Programs Coordinator. Her first goal is to learn what the state of the district is as well as identifying what the areas for growth are. As for her goals for the future, that will depend on where the areas of growth are needed. Dr. Collins feels that she has a lot of experience that will benefit the school district and looks forward to ending her long and successful career where it all began, with the Taos Municipal Schools.