Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Language Access topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents, community members press Greenfield district for in-person interpreters and better language access
Summary
At public comment during the Feb. 13 Greenfield board meeting, multiple parents and community groups urged the district to provide in-person interpreters at school sites and better outreach in Spanish and indigenous languages; the district said it uses on-demand translation services and will follow up.
Several parents and community advocates told the Greenfield Union School District Board of Trustees on Feb. 13 that language access remains a barrier to school involvement and student supports, and they urged the district to provide in-person interpreters at school sites.
Speakers from community organizations and parents described situations where families did not know about meetings or could not understand school communications. Paulina Vasquez told the board she has sought an in-person interpreter for more than a year and said the lack of an interpreter has prevented her from getting answers about her children's education. "It's already been more than a year since we've been looking for help... we need an interpreter for our school, and there hasn't been any change," she said.
Another commenter, Marlon Martinez, said parents need immediate, on-site support: "It's almost been a year since we came to ask for in-person interpretation," he said, adding that families need help understanding teachers and school staff so they can support children with homework and school requirements.
District response and services
During the meeting district staff described tools the district uses for translation and outreach and said they would follow up with the groups that asked for additional support. Board members and staff noted the district has an on-demand phone and video translation service and a separate platform used for student social-emotional learning check-ins, but several parents said those services do not replace an in-person interpreter who can explain complex topics and help at school offices.
Staff members noted the district uses on-demand remote translation for visitors at school offices and said they track requests and usage to identify gaps. Trustees and staff also said they would coordinate with community organizations to schedule accessible, language-specific outreach events and workshops.
Why it matters
Direct, in-person interpretation and culturally accessible outreach affect families' ability to participate in meetings, complete school forms and stay informed about services for their children, including special-education supports and attendance interventions. Speakers said gaps in language access reduce trust and limit parent participation in important decisions.
Provenance
Topic introduction (excerpt): "...there hasn't been any change for me or for my kids because I don't understand English." (public commenter Paulina Vasquez) Topic finish (excerpt): "It's almost been a year since we came to ask for in person interpretation." (public commenter Marlon Martinez)
