About

Hey! I’m Rubi — formerly Ms. Parra to my middle school students — now working in higher ed in the education department of a community college supporting future educators and finishing my M.Ed in K–12 Literacy. I’m a proud Mexican American educator who began her journey in a middle school ELA classroom in Charlotte, NC, where I taught with heart, led with purpose, and learned just as much from my students as I hoped to teach them.

Over the last 8 years, I’ve worn many hats — teacher, instructional coach, literacy advocate — and now, I’m stepping into a new role where I get to help support shaping the next generation of teachers. Still, my heart remains in the classroom and with the communities our schools serve.

The Power of ParraGraphs is where I bring my past and present together — where classroom memories meet real-time questions about the future of education. It’s a space for unpacking what it means to teach, to lead, and to grow in a system that often needs to be challenged.

Through stories, reflection, and research, I connect literacy, teacher preparation, education law & policy, and the school-to-prison pipeline to the everyday work of being an educator committed to justice.

Basically, if it impacts students, teachers, or learning — I’m probably writing about it.

To the students I had the honor and privilege to teach — you’re the reason I do this work,and the foundation of every word I write.