Language Access Coordinator - Interpretation Services (ASL) (SY25-26)
Language Access Coordinator - Interpretation Services (ASL) (SY25-26)
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Job Description
Location: Office of Language Access Services - Division of Family and Community Advancement
Reports To: Director of Language Access Services
BPS Overview:
The Boston Public Schools (BPS) Office of Language Access Services (OLAS) formerly the Translation and Interpretation Unit under the Division of Family and Community Advancement was established in 2015 to centralize and standardize language access across the District. The mission of the OLAS is:
To ensure families have meaningful access to all aspects programs opportunities and services pertaining to their childrens education by providing a multitude of language access services via internal and external resources to safeguard communications.
BPS has committed to strengthening language access district-wide and as such a major focus for OLAS is to ensure all families receive essential information in a timely accurate and accessible manner while increasing opportunities for parent involvement and voice in the District and school-based policies and initiatives.
General Position Overview:
The Office of Language Access Services (OLAS) seeks a highly skilled and motivated professional to coordinate and enhance language access services with a specific focus on American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and accessibility services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. The Language Access Coordinator (ASL) will play a critical role in ensuring equitable communication access across Boston Public Schools (BPS) by managing ASL interpretation requests collaborating with internal and external stakeholders and ensuring compliance with ADA and other relevant accessibility regulations.
Reporting to the Director of Language Access Services this position will oversee the scheduling coordination and quality assurance of ASL and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) services while providing in-person and virtual ASL interpretation when necessary. Additionally the Coordinator will support language access initiatives professional development and policy implementation to promote inclusive and effective communication for all BPS students families and staff.
The ideal candidate will have strong project management skills a deep understanding of language access policies and expertise in ASL interpretation including experience working in educational settings. To effectively perform this role the candidate must possess cultural competence understanding and respect for the Deaf communitys diverse values and norms. This position requires proactive problem-solving stakeholder engagement and compliance monitoring to uphold BPSs commitment to language accessibility and educational equity.
Responsibilities:
Language Access Services Coordination:
- Coordinate and process ASL CART and spoken language interpretation requests received from the Districts scheduling system.
- Monitor and maintain scheduling systems to ensure the timely and accurate submission and completion of all ASL interpretation requests.
- Manage communication related to interpretation services including responding to emails and phone inquiries from staff parents and external vendors.
- Collaborate with other departments and schools to plan and problem-solve language access concerns.
- Ensure compliance with ADA and other relevant accessibility regulations regarding ASL services.
- Coordinate and implement quality assurance evaluations to guarantee equitable service delivery.
- Provide in-person and remote ASL interpreting to staff families or students when needed which might involve travel to assignments including night and weekend assignments.
Customer Service & Stakeholder Engagement:
- Maintain and develop relationships with stakeholders such as the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH) Interpreter Referral Services contracted providers of Interpreting and CART services City of Boston Disability Services BPS staff employers vendors and others to ensure effective provision of communication access.
- Act as a liaison between BPS schools families and external interpretation service providers.
- Develop and provide resources for language access services and professional development to improve the implementation and delivery of interpreter (ASL) services.
- Actively engage in reflective practice with colleagues to ensure best practices in ethical linguistic and cultural competencies.
Administrative & Compliance Support:
- Ensure all interpretation-related processes align with BPS policies and legal requirements including state and federal mandates.
- Prepare and submit reports including usage metrics and feedback summaries for ASL and spoken language interpretation services.
- Stay informed about common ASL compliance and regulatory requirements.
- Identify and resolve compliance issues advising management on potential risks and recommendations.
- Perform other related duties and responsibilities as requested by the Director/Assistant Director of OLAS.
Qualifications - Required:
- A bachelors degree in a relevant field or a minimum of three years of experience in language access coordination interpretation or as a project coordinator in a comparable role.
- Certification is requiredEither RID or reciprocal certification. OR MCDHH screening and working toward national certification.
- EIPA certification is required by DESE for educational interpreters (MA minimum score is 3.5). Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment.
- Strong understanding of the Code of Professional Conduct established by the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf Inc.
- Ability to perform simultaneous and consecutive interpretation with knowledge of both formal and informal registers in English and ASL.
- Highly proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word Excel PowerPoint) and Google Suite as well as remote conferencing platforms commonly used by BPS including Teams Zoom Hangouts and WebEx.
- Strong problem-solving and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment accompanied by excellent communication skills both orally and in writing.
- The capacity to build rapport with individuals from diverse ethnic cultural and economic backgrounds while engaging with others in an effective and tactful manner.
Qualifications - Preferred:
- Masters Degree in a related field.
- Additional language proficiency in Arabic Cape Verdean Creole Chinese French Haitian Creole Portuguese Spanish Somali or Vietnamese.
- Experience in educational and public service settings
- Familiarity with desktop publishing software (InDesign QuarkXPress Framemaker or Canva.
- Familiarity and/or working knowledge of local state and federal laws pertaining to language access and ASL services.
Terms:Managerial B21.
The Boston Public Schools in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies does not discriminate in its programs facilities or employment or educational opportunities based on race color age criminal record (inquiries only) disability homelessness sex/gender gender identity religion national origin ancestry sexual orientation genetics or military status and does not tolerate any form of retaliation bias-based intimidation threat or harassment that demeans individuals dignity or interferes with their ability to learn or work.
Required Experience:
IC
Employment Type
Full-Time
