Mrs. Parra: a name many students are familiar with at Santiago. An outstanding language arts teacher who has resided here for 10 years and even attended Santiago High School as a student. But recently, she has been offered a new job at the district, which she accepted. This position is called a “teacher on special assignment” but is usually referred to as TSA. Although this is sad for those who are greatly impacted by her teachings, it is an exciting new chapter for such a beloved teacher, mentor, and friend. There are some questions she answered from the people at Santiago regarding her experiences at Santiago High School and how she feels about her new district position. 

How do you feel about your new position? 

“​I am very excited about my new position! I am looking forward to learning the nuances of our different intermediate and high schools across the district and how to best support our language arts teachers. I’m basically getting paid to learn and help others!”

What are you most anxious about going forward?

 “I’m most anxious about doing a good job and being a good support for my colleagues! As with anything new, it can be very intimidating, so I want to be sure I don’t let those negative thoughts creep in too much!”

What was your favorite part of working at Santiago?

“​I loved so much about working at Santiago- from the trivial, like it being close to home, to the important stuff, like amazing students and colleagues! I learned so much from my 10 years here. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to work here.”

What’s something you learned from being here? ​

“I was lucky to have some phenomenal colleagues who taught me what effective classroom management and lesson/unit design look like. I learned so much from them, and now I’m lucky that they are personal friends.”

What will you miss the most?

“​I will miss my students the most. As I said, I’m lucky that my colleagues turned into friends in real life, so I know I will still see them! But I won’t really have the opportunity to see my students anymore, or work with other students in the near future, so that is something that makes me sad to think about. Kids are amazing and I was lucky to work with some of the best over the last decade!​”

Anything else you would like to say?

“​Just thank you to the Santiago community for teaching me so much and being the best place to work! I will always look back on my time here with fondness.”

Thank you, Mrs. Parra. Thank you for the impact you’ve left on so many of my peers. You will be dearly missed here at Santiago, but on behalf of all your past students, they are so happy for you. You will continue to shape lives in your new position, and you will always have a home here at Santiago High School.