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Parents press Cloverdale Unified for better interpretation and a 'Safe Haven' resolution
Summary
Multiple parents and students told the board that the newly hired bilingual liaison has not provided adequate interpretation, that students are being relied on to translate, and urged the district to adopt a safe-haven resolution and improve language access and training.
Several parents, ELAC leaders and a former student told the board that the district’s bilingual liaison has not been providing adequate interpretation. Susana Oseguera (vice president of ELAC at Jefferson Elementary), Juana Alvarez (ELAC president), Maria Aguirre (DLAC secretary) and others described events and meetings where translation was incomplete or handled by teens and said that professional, trained interpreters are needed for both family engagement and school events.
A former student, Alexandra Reese, described being asked repeatedly to translate for newly arrived Spanish-speaking classmates, saying the extra responsibility disrupted her own coursework and was beyond what a student should be asked to do.
Henry, a community organizer with the Migrant Justice Initiative, urged the board to consider a Safe Haven resolution. He said sample language used in other districts has been reviewed by lawyers, stressed the need for staff training and Know-Your-Rights resources, and described community-led Rapid Response training that can be offered locally.
Board members acknowledged the concerns, confirmed they had read submitted materials, and allowed extended time for Spanish-language public comment with translation accommodations. The chair accepted a request to place a Safe Haven resolution as a future agenda item for board consideration and suggested the board solicit additional public input and legal review as needed.
No formal policy change was adopted at the meeting; trustees asked staff to clarify next steps and said items could be scheduled in an upcoming packet.
