Holyoke Public Schools employs multilingual staff members in every building who can serve as translators and interpreters for students and families for whom English is not their primary language.
In addition, the district employs a dedicated team of six Language Access professionals who work directly with students and their families—and behind the scenes—to ensure they are heard and understood, their questions are answered, and they have equal access to information in a language they can read and understand.
Learn more about the essential roles translators and interpreters provide in this short video that Holyoke Public Schools produced last year in celebration of International Translation Day celebrated annually around the world on September 30. Note: The video link includes both English and Spanish.
The support provided by Holyoke's Language Access team and multilingual employees throughout the district is critical to creating an inclusive community, promoting cultural understanding, and strengthening healthy relationships with families, said HPS Language Access Manager Linnette Clayton. The district’s Language Access team has grown over the past year, and now includes five translators and interpreters: Marilyn Ramos, Sharina De León Bermúdez, Diego Acosta, Raylis Escobar, and Sarah Sierra.
“Through the words of an interpreter, a family member can have a voice in a meeting, understand complex information about their child’s special education program, or be aware of important information pertaining to their child's academic progress,” Mrs. Clayton said. “And by providing access to written information in a language that can be read and understood, Holyoke Public Schools includes the voices of many families and allows them to have equal access to their children’s education.”
Each year since 2017, the United Nations and the international community have recognized September 30 as International Translation Day to acknowledge the work of language professionals worldwide as their work plays an important role in bringing nations together, facilitating dialogue, understanding and cooperation, contributing to development, and strengthening world peace and security.
“My job is to eliminate the communication barriers so that our students and their families feel informed, important, and heard,” explained HPS translator and interpreter Sharina De León Bermúdez in this short video produced in both English and Spanish last year.
“Sometimes, a translator is portrayed as someone who builds bridges between communities, but I also like to think of myself as someone who is in charge of opening doors and tearing down walls to provide the best opportunities for everyone to be involved with their child’s education,” Mr. Acosta said in this short video, also produced in both English and Spanish last year.