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Keeping the rhythm alive | LoudounTimes.com

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Keepingtherhythmalive
Wednesday,Jun.20,2012byLauraPeters,TimesMirrorStaffWriter|0comments|Emailthisstory

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CarlosParra,aSpanish teacheratDominionHigh Schoolandwinnerof HispanicTeacherofthe YearforNorthernVirginia, couldbesentbackto Columbiaifheisunableto extendhisworkvisapast itsexpirationdateatthe endofJuly.TimesMirror StaffPhoto/BeverlyDenny

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CarlosParratalkswithhishands.Hisboldgesturessignifyhiscultureandthewayhisfingers dancealongtothevibrationsofhisvoiceistheSpanishrhythmhewasbornwith. TheoncemeekLatinocommunitywithinthewallsofDominionHighSchoolstartedtocomeout ofthewoodworkonceParrastartingteaching. Butallthatmaydisappear. Parra,anineyeartemporaryresidentoftheU.S.,mustvoluntarilyreturntohisnativeColumbia bytheendofJuly,orfacedeportation. Despitetheteacherssoaringpopularityamongstudentsandcolleagues,Parrahasfewoptions left.TostayintheU.S.,theteachermustjumpoverseveralhurdlestheprocessrequiring waiversfrombothcountriesandapossiblesponsorshipfromLoudounCounty. Iknowthisistherule,hesaidwithasigh.RightnowthetimingiscloseandmaybeIllhave tocomebacktoColumbiaandmaybegetanopportunityfornextyearormaybereplaceanother teacherthathastogo. Parra,therecentrecipientoftheHispanicTeacheroftheYearawardinNorthernVirginiaby theHispanicYouthFoundationofNorthernVirginia,isaSpanishteacheratDominionHigh SchoolandtheschoolsLatinDanceTeamsponsor.
TimesMirrorStaff Photo/BeverlyDenny

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Parranotonlyservesasateacherattheschoolbutarolemodeltohisstudentsandcolleagues. HestrivestomakehisstudentspartofaproudLatinocommunity. Weareopeningthecommunityindifferentway,beingpartofthecommunityinthegoodway, ParrasaysoftheLatinocommunityatDominion.Wearemore.Wecanreturnmore.Thisisthe Americandream.ThisistheUnited[States]ofAmerica,thatisthemulticulturalthing.Latinos areherebeproudofyourculture. AnoutpouringofsupportcametoParrasaidduringaJune12SchoolBoardmeeting,whenhe wasrecognizedforhisHispanicTeacheroftheYearaward.Hisstudents,pastandpresent, spoketotheboardpleadingforParratostayinAmericaandcontinueteaching. ParrafirstcametoAmericain2003alongwithhiswife,Nidia,whenshewasofferedajobwith LoudounCountyPublicSchoolsasaSpanishandForeignLanguageinElementarySchool teacherthroughtheVisitingInternationalFacultyprogram.ShereceivedaJ1Visa,givingParra aJ2VisatocometotheU.S.aswell. Thevisaprocess WhenapplyingforaJ1visa,apersonneedstoapplyforaspecificjob,inthiscase,ajobwith LCPS.TheExchangeVisitornonimmigrantvisa,ortheJ1category,isforpeoplewhohave beenapprovedtoparticipateinworkorstudybasedexchangevisitorprograms.WithaJ1visa, aJ2visacanbeissuedforspousesordependentswhichbecamethecaseforParra. Currently,thereare11,622peopleparticipatingintheJ1exchangevisitorprogram,according totheU.S.DepartmentoftheState. ParracametotheU.S.withnopaperstowork.Onceheobtainedtherightdocuments,he startedworkinginkitchensandrestaurants,buthisrealpassion,andformerjobinColumbia, wasinteaching.StartingoutsubstitutingforLCPS,Parrawassoonofferedmorepermanent positionsuntilheacquiredhisteachingcertification. Hisstudentsandinfluence
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ItwouldbeveryhardtogotoDominionandnothavehimtherenextyear,Dominionstudent MarthaDiazsaid.ShesaidParraservedasafatherfiguretoher.WithMr.ParraIfeellikeI cangotohim.Hesthemanwhosnotonlyhelpedmebebetterinschool,buthestheman whoshelpedmeinlifeaswell. Evengraduatesoftheschoolcametospeakbeforetheboard,includingEmileKhattar. Hesbeenworkingtobringtogetherallthedifferentaspects,allthedifferentracesatthe school,Khattarsaid.HesanintegralparttounitingDominionasaschool.Neartheendofthe year,usseniorsallgetsenioritis,SenorParraalwayspushedus.Henevergaveuponus,thats whywecantgiveuponSeorParra. SuzetteWyhs,LCPSForeignLanguagesupervisorsaidshehiredParrabackin2003whenhe barelyspokeEnglish. Adolescenceisaboutidentityandasenseofbelonging.EverywhereCarloshasgoneand everywhereCarloshastaughthesbeenabletoinstillthatinchildren,Wyhssaid. OneofParrasbiggestinfluencebeganwhenhetookoverDominionsLatinDanceteamin2008. Theteamofjustonecouplegrewinto10,thenmorethan50studentsofalldifferentraces.
TimesMirrorStaff Photo/BeverlyDenny

Itsopportunity,itsinspiration,itspassion.ThisiswhyIdoit,Parraexplained.Iknowthat thisdaythedaythatIhavetogoisgoingtocome.IknowthatIhavetogoout.But,Ihave twochoices:dontdoanythingforthekidsordosomethingIprefertodosomethingbecause thisiswhoIam.Thisiswhattheyneed.Theyneedopportunities. TheLatinDanceCompetition,nowinvolvesmorethan10schoolswhichDominionhasplaced firstinrecentandinpastcompetitions. Firstofall,hesaphenomenalteacherandmakesgreatstrideswithstudentsandhasreally helpedtoraisethepositioninLatinosinourschoolandwithinthecommunity,KimFogelson, DominionteacherandLatinDanceTeamcosponsorsaidofParra.Physically,youcanseeiton thebodylanguageofthekids.Theywalkproudlywiththeirheadsuphighatschoolinthehalls. TheyareapartofthewholeDominionstudentpopulationthatsexpectedbecauseoftheir improvedacademicsuccessaswellasthevisualsuccessoftheLatinDanceTeam. Whatsnext ParrahasuntilJuly30togetapprovalfromtheColumbianandU.S.Governmentstoreceivea waivertostay.SincehiswifewishestoreturntoColumbia,andhisvisaisthroughher,hewould needtoeithergetsponsoredfromanemployer,whichinthiscasewouldbeLoudounCounty. AccordingtoWyhs,sponsoringsomeoneiscostlyandanemployerwouldhavetopayforallthe paperworktogetParratoAmerica. Accordingtohisvisacontract,hemuststayinColumbiafortwoyears,thenreapplyforajob withintheJ1visaprogram. Ifwewantedtosponsorhimasanindividual,wecantdoitunlessthereisabindingcontract, whichisamarriagecertificate,anemploymentcontract,ithastobeabindingcontractthatyou workortiedtothiscountryyourebringinginsometypeofvalue,Wyhssaid.Onceyoureon thatculturalvisa,theresnoway,unlessyoumarryaU.S.citizenorgetsponsorshipthroughan employer,youcangettheH1visa,whichisrequiredforhimtowork. AccordingtotheU.S.DepartmentofHomelandSecurity,thereweremorethan1millionpeople whoobtainedlegalpermanentresidencyin2011.
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Whathedleavebehind HisstudentscallhimPapaParra,becauseheservesasafatherfiguretomanyofthem. AccordingtoParra,hisSpanishstudentshaveturnedhisclassroomintotheirhomeandfear theywillnowbehomelessintheirschoolenvironmentonceParraleaves.Acabinetinhisroom servesasasalonmirrorforhisfemalestudentsandhisclassroomisaplacewherehisstudents canhangoutbeforeschool,duringlunch,helpoutduringstudyhallandafterschool. Itsaboutwhoyouare,Parrasaid.Ifyougetthatyoucanfeelapartofsomethingandthat happensatDominionHighSchoolwiththeLatinDance. Hesnotonlychangedthewayhisstudentsworkandthink,buthesinspiredhiscolleagues. ParracollaborateswithhisschoolandhasdonestaffdevelopmentwithSpanishteachersin everylevelthroughoutthecounty,Wyhssaid. Thestrategiesandthefeedbackwevegotfromteachers,werethatthosewerethebest workshopstheyveeverbeento,aretheonesthatCarloshasfacilitatedforthem.Instructionally hesgotitanditsreallyadevastatingblowtothecounty,itsahugeloss.TolosetheHispanic TeacheroftheYearbecauseofbureaucraticpaperwork,itsreallyverysad,Wyhssaid.
TimesMirrorStaff Photo/BeverlyDenny

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