Renee Dake earned a B.A. in Communication Studies from UC Santa Barbara and worked for several years as a media planner in advertising before deciding to become a teacher.  She earned both multi-subject and learning handicapped special education credentials from CSUN and went on to teach in the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District.  At Will Rogers Elementary she ran the full inclusion program for grades K-5 and team taught in a multi-age environment before taking time off to start a family.  Both of her daughters attended and loved Meadows/MATES.  Her oldest is a USC graduate and is working in the entertainment industry. Her youngest is earning her master's degree in speech pathology at CSUSM.

Mrs. Dake enjoyed her role as the MATES and Meadows librarian for 13 years, but transitioned back into special education in 2019 and is happily working as the MATES Resource teacher. She is proud to have been one of the founding board members for MATES, where her advertising and education background were put to good use earning our charter and opening the school.  She is always grateful to be part of the continued success of MATES.