Alaina Pariano

Principal

I became an educator because… I had so many caring teachers growing up and always wanted to be a teacher. However, once I started at Ohio University, I quickly found out that despite all of those caring teachers, not many had pushed me to my potential. It became increasingly apparent throughout my freshman year as I struggled in nearly every class I took. I got grades that I had never seen before! It was a difficult realization that I was unprepared for college, despite always being told how “smart” I was. I spent a lot of time working with kids in the areas surrounding Athens, Ohio, and I realized that my story was unfortunately not unique. I started to see education as social justice work, not just teaching students.

Prior to Equitas, I… was a special education teacher and 5th grade math teacher at two different charter schools in Los Angeles. I helped found EQ3 in 2015 and transitioned from EQ3 to our Flagship campus in 2023!

I chose Equitas because… I really wanted to work in a community. Living far away from the community I am from made me want to give back to a small tight-knit community. Serving the Pico-Union community has been the connection I needed to feel at home in Los Angeles.

Outside of school, I enjoy… spending time with friends, going to the movies, and playing with my dog, Bruce!