La Pastorela, a New Mexican traditional music play

La Pastorela:  An important traditional play in the New Mexican folklore.

In December I had the opportunity to play as an actor in a musical play.  I was invited to play the role of a shepherd in La Gran Pastorella, or play of the Shepherds or Pastores in Spanish.  I of course felt very honored that the organizers invited me.  Can you believe it?  I, singing and acting in public?

Has anyone heard about the pastorella Musical Play?  Have you seen it? (No:  Today you will learn the basics and understand its relevance.  Yes:    )

La Pastorella is a very old New Mexican Christmas musical play that depicts humble events that happen along the way as the shepherds walk towards Bethlehem in search of Jesus, the newborn.

The musical play has its origins back in Spain around the thirteen or fourteen century.  Back in the middle age the Catholic Church used simple drama/plays to teach religious concepts and behaviors to poor peasants and their children.

The play was brought by the Spaniards when they conquered Mexico in the fifteen century and was probably brought to New Mexico by the Franciscan priests as a teaching tool when they started the indoctrination of the natives in the Missions in the 16 and 17 hundreds.

There is no formal and standard documentation or publication of the text of the play.  It has been simply preserved in family notebooks that are used in isolated communities and passed through generations. 

Today there are several versions, which are still occasionally enacted during Christmas in a few small communities in New Mexico.  The play is in Spanish, using very colorful and colloquial expressions and language typical of rural uneducated humble shepherds.  There are also several musicians who play guitars, a violin, and a chorus group made up by the wives of the shepherds.

The play starts with the shepherds (about 10) in the back of the gathering place, singing, one by one, about the newborn in Bethlehem and the star that guides them.  The shepherds walk to the center stage and Bato, one of the key shepherds, suggests that they stop to take a break for the evening.  Gila, a young lady, prepares dinner and once again each of the shepherds gets the spotlight and sings or says a brief line as they receive something to eat.

At this point, one of the central shepherd characters in the musical appears.  He is Bartolo, a shepherd who all he wants to do is lay down, drink and sleep.  And indeed throughout the play he remains lying down and refusing the attempts of his fellow shepherds to help him stand up.

Soon the devil appears.  He has a colorful custom with the traditional image of the devil: a flaming red cape, horns on his head, black pants, a long pointed tail, and he holds a sharp pitchfork.  He has a devilish face, a thunderous voice and devilish antics.  He claims that he controls and commands the sun, the moon, and all the stars in the sky.  He attempts to lure the shepherds away from their walk to Bethlehem and invites them to join in his parties.  Gila, warns Bato that the devil is trying to deceive him.

Now a hermit who is traveling with the shepherds kneels and prays.  The archangel Michael appears and invites the shepherds to continue walking towards Bethlehem and to worship the newborn in the manger.

The devil appears again and confronts the archangel Michael.  The devil threatens to destroy the earth and reclaim his place as owner of his kingdom.  He announces that he will play a trick on the shepherds and will use the hermit for such a purpose.

The Hermit indeed awakens from what seems to be a nightmare.   The devil soothes him and promises to help him.  The devil of course blackmails the hermit by threatening to tell the shepherds that the hermit has robbed them in the past.  The devil tempts the hermit with the potential pleasures of the flesh and persuades him to kidnap the young Gila.

As soon as the hermit kidnaps the young lady Gila, the devil awakens the shepherds and denounces the hermit.  All the shepherds beat and punish the hermit; even Bartolo the lazy shepherd who has been lying down all the time. 

The shepherds go back to sleep and the archangel Michael appears one more time.  He proclaims his message of the annunciation of the birth of Jesus and once again invites the shepherds to find the manger and adore the newborn.

The devil appears one last time and with a thunderous speech attempts to finally persuade the shepherds as he sees that his power is slipping away.  A final and violent struggle occurs between the devil and the archangel Michael.  Eventually the devil is finished and is forced to get away.  The devil acknowledges his defeat and says, “Learn oh flowers from me, what has happened between yesterday and today, yesterday I was a marvel, and today I’m not even a shadow of myself.”

The archangel Michael says that the devil has been defeated by the powers of the Virgin Mary, and the shepherds start walking towards the manger in Bethlehem as they sing praises.

As Bato announces that they have reached the manger where the newborn is found, Joseph and Mary appear at the center of the stage and Mary holds the newborn.  Each of the shepherds starts presenting the humble gift that they offer to Jesus: a mattress, a rooster, a gourd water vessel, a pillow, a blanket, a clothesbasket, swaddling bands, and some food.

I play the role of Alparado, one of the shepherds.  As I present my gift I sing:

“Voy para Belen, con gusto infinito, al recien nacido, le traigo un guajito.”  This translates into something like:  “I am walking towards Bethlehem with infinite pleasure, to the newborn I offer a  drinking gourd container.”

After all the shepherds present their gifts the only one missing is Bartolo the drunken lazy shepherd.  Each shepherd attempts to persuade him to join in the adoration and presentation of gifts but to not avail.  This is a humorous portion of the play.  Each line of the shepherds is followed by cynical remarks from Bartolo, the lazy shepherd which give the audience an opportunity to laugh.  Eventually the shepherds manage to persuade him to get up and Bartolo finally joins in the adoration and presentation of gifts.

The play ends as the shepherds sing as a chorus  several lullabies, praises and Christmas songs and exit the stage.

I invite you to watch this play this coming December.  Unfortunately there are very few places where it is still shown.  This is one of those traditions that are quickly dying from the folkloric culture of New Mexico.  I enjoyed learning about this folk tale and trust that you will enjoy watching the play.

Thank You to All of You Toastmasters

Thank You to All of You Toastmasters

Today I want to say thank you to all of you. 

If I have increased my confidence while standing in front of this audience, if I have improved my ability to prepare and deliver a speech, and If I have improved my overall speaking skills it has been not just because of my effort alone but more importantly it has been because of you:  All of you Competent Communicators, all of you Advanced Communicators and all of you DTMs. Why?

First of all, because your role modeling. 

I learn by watching and imitating.  And when I have the privilege and the opportunity to watch speakers like Merv, Adam and Gail on a frequent basis, as I do here, I see first hand and first row how it is done.  I have enjoyed watching Merv display that ability to motivate and to entertain at the same time.  I have seen Adam use crisp language and eloquence in speeches that helped us build our upper body or taught us how to clear our closets of antiquated electronic relics, and I have seen how he effectively uses body language to illustrate his points.  And I have benefited from watching Gail demonstrate how to use her voice, and a nice smile to convey ideas, serious topics, matters of life and death.  And who could better demonstrate for me how to hold your ground and avoid unnecessary back and forth or sideways rocking of your stance?

So when you hear me and watch me talk with a sense of confidence, hear me use a projecting voice and, watch me purposely remain at a particular area of the stage or move with a sense of purpose that matches and supports my speech, you are seeing a reflection of your role modeling.  And I hope that you will feel a sense of pride and of achievement: You have taught me well; your example has made a searing impact on my speaking.

As I said, it hasn’t been just the role modeling.  How about the specific and sharp popcorn evaluations and feedback?  I can go on and on citing specific examples.  Where else could I have been made aware of my active, dynamic, distracting and out of control gesturing?  Susan, thank you, for your persistent observations.  I know I have made some progress. 

Where else could I have learned about the importance of using callbacks?  Thank you Adam for reminding me.

And what about receiving specific pointers, very personal reminders dealing with your physical appearance?  Bob has reminded us, on several occasions, about the importance of not showing any bulges in our pockets.

Yes, indeed I have received a lot of advice and assistance from all of you.  And of course I am not the only one benefiting from your unselfish giving to this club.  I am reminded of the quote from Benjamin Disraeli: “The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but reveal to them their own.” 

All of you, at every Toastmaster meeting, are helping newcomers like me, and dare I say, even helping old timers, discover our own speaking riches and strengths.  So, next time when you don’t feel the urgency to attend a Toastmaster meeting, or you feel a little bit discouraged, remember:  “The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.”  Your advice, example and feedback are positively impacting newer generations and are making a difference.  Your counsel and experience are sought at every meeting.  We need your continued involvement.  And please be reminded of all the satisfaction that helping others bring.  Thank you once again.

You can transform a nightmare into a fulfilled American Dream

The American Dream or the Immigrant’s Nightmare.  What is it? 

All of us are immigrants into this country.  For many of you, you are following in the tradition and spirit of your immigrant parents, grandparents or great-grandparents…. As for myself, I have started my own generation of Americans.   The paths that brought us here may have been different; but the dream that attracted us, the dream that shed light along the risky trail has always been similar: to prosper on this land of opportunity and freedom, and to provide a better future for ourselves and our families.

However, there is not a guarantee of success.  Some may reach and fulfill their American dream.  For others life in here may become the American nightmare.  As an example I will compare my experience with the experience of a woman I came across recently at my church.

This woman, Lupita, was a seventeen-year-old teenager when she thought for the first time about the American Dream.   She is from Chihuahua, Mexico.  As a young teenager she was always a very poor girl, always lacking many essentials: she did not celebrate Christmas with many gifts or a Christmas tree; and frankly, there were not many days when she had a complete meal either.

One year a neighbor arrived from the United States.  He brought with him a lot of things and what seemed to her like lots of dollars.  He talked about how much money was available in the United States, how abundant the food was, and the many life comforts. 

Lupita, thought about how great it would be if she too could live in the United States.  From that moment all her thoughts focused on how she could enter the United States.

The neighbor told her that crossing the border would be an easy task:  It would only cost about $1,500 but she would need to walk through the Arizona dessert for about two nights.  He also said that there would be many people crossing the border and that if she wanted to do it he would be happy to help her cross the border, he would talk with the people in charge and would ask them that she be allowed to pay them only after they would find her a job in the United States. 

At that moment she felt that the American dream was within her reach.  Her main dream was that she would be working in the USA and her parents and younger siblings would not be lacking anything in the future.

Finally the night selected for crossing the border arrived.  It was the longest night in her life (so many scares, so many close encounters with the border patrol, and long distances to walk, so much adrenaline flowing).  She didn’t rest at all that night.  She slept on the ground during the day, and continued walking again the next evening.  It was dawn when the group was met by a car that was waiting for them on the other side of the border.

She was dropped at a safe house.  A month and a half went by and the coyotes still would not release her.  She was feeling desperate.  Where was the great American dream?  Where were the plentiful jobs so that she could start working?

She managed to escape.  She walked for over a week on the streets of Phoenix without knowing anyone, not knowing where to go.  She survived on whatever food she could get from strangers.    Eventually she met a woman who helped her: she offered a place to sleep and some food in exchange for taking care of her two children and cleaning her house.  

She went through many more survival experiences and situations during the next months.

Her American dream became a nightmare.  She discovered that the American dream was very different from what people had told her.  She had many difficulties and problems.  Soon she even had her first child.

Finding herself alone in this world, with a baby and without money, she thought many times about going back to her homeland.  But she would feel embarrassed about having to face her mother and father.  As time went by she had her second child.  The thought of both of them drove her to continue working.

Today, she lives here in Albuquerque with four daughters.  In poverty, no documents, no job.  Her American dream has transformed into just the hope that her daughters will have a good education and perhaps a better life.

Now, my brief personal story.  You remember that I came to this country dreaming of getting a graduate education.  No difficulties for me crossing the border since I had a student visa documents.

Thirty-five years later, married, with two grown up children, I am ready to retire after a successful career in project management consulting.  I am even ready to start new intellectual challenges such as being an interpreter/translator. 

What a difference in lives experiences.  What a contrast between dreams and nightmares.   My start in this country was helped by having the right documentation and by having the good luck of meeting a few contacts who helped me with job placement and document sponsorship.  It wasn’t just my effort, it was the help and support that I received at the right time from caring and good-hearted people. 

As we walk through the streets in Albuquerque, in the shopping centers and restaurants, we see many immigrant faces.  Each one has a very personal, poignant, and incredible story about their pursuit of the American dream:  a vision that for some has materialized in pleasurable achievements and for others has evolved into terrible nightmares.  

Most of us have reached the point in our lives when our personal fulfillment is measured not by how much we achieve for ourselves, but by how much we help others achieve. 

As we approach the holiday season, let us be thankful for how our American dream has evolved.  And in the spirit of caring and sharing, let us reach to the immigrants and let us try to help them achieve their own dream, as humble and as fulfilling as it may be.

Our small help may make the difference between someone fulfilling his or her American dream, or their remaining in an American nightmare.

Government shutdown

Waiting on a resolution of this shutdown.  The ACA is the law already.

Plant a tree, write a book, and raise a child.

Plant a tree, write a book, and raise a child.

Mr. Suarez: If you want to leave a mark in this world you need to do at least three things: plant a tree, write a book and raise a child before you leave this earth.  Those were the words of one of my best teachers in high school, Juan de Dios Vezga, my teacher of chemistry, biology and anatomy in high school.  And those words, pronounced in a solemn and authoritative tone, still ring in my ears.   Do they mean anything to you?  That stern directive, heard over 40 years ago has guided my life and continues to haunt me.  And today I want to share with you how I have interpreted it and how I have heeded that advice.

Those may not have been his own words.  Some have attributed that advice to Picasso, others to Jose Marti, the great Cuban poet and independence fighter.  Others trace the words to the Talmud.  As with most of wisdom statements, there is probably a long and old history of adaptations and interpretations.  But for now the important thing should be what those words mean and how we can interpret them.

1. Plant a tree.

This advice talks, at least to me, about my duty to recognize how important and how beautiful the environment that surrounds me, and nature is, and about my duty to contribute to improving it for future generations.  You do that by planting a tree and caring for it.  And as we modernize and create more ways to threaten the sustainability and availability of natural resources we must go beyond planting trees… we must look at ways to diminish climate change, water pollution and reduce air contamination.   I planted my own tree.  When my wife and I got married in Austin, Texas we planted a small oak sapling.  It was a hard effort, digging a hole in the rocky, dry ground.  Perhaps a premonition sign of the marriage life difficulties ahead.  Perhaps not a premonition but an admonition.  Today over 30 years later I am glad to report that the oak tree sampling is now a big, strong tree that provides shade and nice green foliage year around.  And our marriage is still thriving.

2. Write a book.

Our civilization has advanced thanks to the increase and transfer of knowledge and experiences from one generation to the next.  Everyone can contribute and everyone needs to. 

It is our duty to document and transfer the knowledge that will help the next generation have a better life.  We don’t want them to have to reinvent the wheel, do we?

I have written several articles, some with opinions, others with more sound statements about engineering or business.  One of them made it into a book, and recently I actually published a short book on the Kindle store.

I think I still have more work to do in this area. 

3. Raise a child.

The first thing that my teacher said regarding this advice was that it didn’t have to be a biological child.   The child represents the effort of helping a person –your child- grow both physically and emotionally.  You can shape his or her views, influence his/her behavior and pass your values, hopes and dreams to your child.

We want to live forever, we want to make sure that our memory and our contributions are remembered.  Having a child, having someone who shares your ideas will extend your presence and your influence in this world for many more generations after you are gone.

I have two children.  Quite frankly I get a lot of satisfaction in those occasions when I observe their behavior and response to situations and I can see that they are reflecting or mirroring my behavior or acting according to the teachings that I have attempted to pass on.

If we feel that we have accomplished all three components of my teacher’s advice: plant a tree, write a book, raise a child, it doesn’t mean that we are done.   My teacher also taught me about the phoenix in Greek mythology: we need to rise from the ashes of our old person and start enjoying a new life every day.

Voting is a Precious Right: Use This Framework For Choosing Whom to Vote For.

Voting is a Precious Right:  Use This Framework For Choosing Whom to Vote For.

Have you decided to vote during the presidential election on November 6th?  If you have, how did you choose whom to support with your vote?  And if you haven't decided yet, how will you choose whom to support?

Will you vote because of your party affiliation – regardless of the candidate’s qualifications and platform?  Will you vote for one candidate because you just can't stand the other candidate?  Or will your decision be the outcome of a rational analysis of the candidates’ positions, qualifications and experience?

  

In this note I will explain why it is essential that every American exercise the right to vote.   Then I will provide criteria to help you make a rational decision.  I am not interested in persuading you to vote in favor of Barack Obama or Mitt Romney, rather I want you to understand how to use a rational decision-making process so that your valuable vote will be the result of a well thought analysis and decision.

Here in the United States voting is a right, not a legal obligation.  Yet, our daily lives are so impacted by the results of the political process that voting is definitely one of the greatest civic responsibilities and moral obligations that each and every citizen must carry out.   From an early age we were taught to proudly and solemnly repeat:  “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States and to the republic for which it stands… “And so on.  If we indeed claim and offer allegiance to the republic then we must exercise the right to vote.  Voting is a right that unfortunately many American citizens ignore and fail to exercise.  Millions of people in other countries are deprived from this right, are fighting for this right and are willing to give their lives for the precious right.

As someone who adopted the US citizenship after living many years as an adult immigrant I still cannot understand why here in America only about 50 to 60% of the eligible voters exercise their right to vote in presidential elections. (The absenteeism is substantially higher for local and state elections that do not coincide with the presidential elections.)  When voting rights are taken for granted and are disregarded by ignoring them, it is easy to forget how fundamental and essential they are in order to strengthen and maintain the privileged and much envied democratic and economic way of life that we have.

If you are not happy with education policies and the academic results, with healthcare access and costs, with environmental policies or social security benefits policies, then you must let your voice and opinion be heard and amplified through your vote participation.

Once you realize that voting is indeed a very important and personal right, you may ask, “How do I make a rational decision when choosing whom to vote for?”

We should not vote just for the candidate who spends the most money on television advertisements, nor for the candidate from the party that our family or entire generation has always supported, nor for the candidate that our friends seem to support the most. 

I suggest that you must establish a comprehensive list of criteria that reflect your important values and beliefs related to government and political leadership.  Then you can assign points (on a scale of 1 to 10) to each candidate based upon your assessment of their compliance and agreement with the criteria elements that you created.  Add the resulting points and the candidate with the highest points gets your vote.  This is an old decision making approach used by Benjamin Franklin back in the 1780’s.  If you want to refine it you can assign weights (to account for the higher importance that a criteria may have over others) and get a weighted ranking.

What criteria elements should you use?  There are at least four categories of criteria elements.  You can formulate specific questions to further define the criterion.

First, government/political ideas:

            Do you agree with the candidate’s economic policies for jobs creation, growth, taxes, deficit, health care, social security, energy, military spending? 

            Do you like the political views about government involvement, assistance to individuals?

            Do you agree with foreign policies: involvement vs. isolationism, leadership in international mediation, foreign assistance

Second, personal/moral beliefs and values:

            Do you agree with the candidate’s stated personal/moral views regarding (abortion, gender equality, immigration), ethics.

Third, role of the USA in the world:

            Do we agree with the views on international peace, environmental future, sustainability, economic and humankind vision?

Fourth: leadership, credibility, presidential representation

            Does the candidate have the ability to lead congress and get the job done?

            Will you feel confident and proud of having him as the President of the USA?

You can customize these criteria to reflect your own specific and key personal issues and values.  And you can assign different weights if you want to reflect differences in the ranking and importance of the criteria.  The table below provides an example of specific criteria.  (You can modify it to add/delete criteria that you feel are essential to your voting decision process.)  

There is still time to get more educated, if necessary, about the candidate’s platforms and positions.  You can go directly to the candidates’ websites (barackobama.com and mittromney.com) to find more information and to learn about the candidates’ positions in order to assess the candidates and assign points to each decision criteria.

Once you have developed and completed your decision criteria table you can talk to your friends about the importance of voting and invite them to develop their own decision-making criteria.  You may want to find out the voting location closest to you and either vote early or plan to vote on November 6^th.  This is your opportunity to be counted as one of the pillars of democracy in America. 

Issues	Barack Obama (0 to 10 points)	Mitt Romney (0 to 10 points)
1. Do I agree with the candidate’s policies for job creation?
2. Do I agree with the candidate’s policies for economic growth?
3. Do I agree with the candidate’s policies for taxes?
4. Do I agree with the candidate’s policies for provision of health care?
5. Do I agree with the candidate’s policies for energy?
6. Do I agree with the candidate’s policies for military spending?
7. Do I agree with the candidate’s philosophy about government role, size, involvement, safety net?
5. Do I agree with the candidate’s philosophy about regulation?
6. Do I agree with the candidate’s philosophy about foreign policy? (Isolation/involvement, leadership, foreign assistance)
7. Do I agree with the candidate’s views on moral issues (abortion, gender equality)?
8. Do I agree with the candidate’s views on immigration?
9. Do I agree with the candidate’s views about international peace and economic growth?
10. Do I agree with the candidate’s views about the environment/sustainability?
11. Do I agree with the candidate’s views about international development and global welfare?
12. Does the candidate exhibit leadership and credibility to get the job done?
13. Do I feel confident and proud of having this candidate as the President of the USA?
(Add, if necessary, other criteria that you feel are an essential part of your voting decision criteria)
Total Points

Legal Developments in Translation and Interpretation Requirements at Public Schools by Luis F. Suarez

Published at Language Magazine, pp 29-30, June 2012.

This article provides a summary of legal developments that have established precedents for current federal requirements to provide translation and interpretation services to students, parents, teachers and staff at public schools. The article also presents examples of specific tasks that translators and interpreters typically provide in order to facilitate communications between parents and school staff.

First let’s clarify a common misunderstanding regarding the definitions of interpretation and translation.  Interpretation is the process of converting a verbal communication message from one language into another language; translation is the process of converting a written message into a written message in a second language.  Interpretation can be simultaneous –when the process is done while the source speaker continues talking- or consecutive –when the source speaker pauses while the interpreter renders the message into the target language.  The objective is to facilitate the communication process by rendering messages that transmit similar information and nuances of the language.  Translation allows more time for the written language conversion process while interpretation puts an intense time pressure on the interpreter to deliver the verbal message in the target language.

The federal requirements to provide translation and interpretation services at public schools originate as a consequence of federal regulations that prohibit national origin discrimination.  Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that: “No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”  A clarification of specific obligations with an emphasis on the need for services to those with limited English proficiency (LEP) was promulgated through Executive Order 13166, "Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency,” by President Clinton in August 2000.  This Executive Order “….requires Federal agencies to examine the services they provide, identify any need for services to those with limited English proficiency (LEP), and develop and implement a system to provide those services so LEP persons can have meaningful access to them.”   The previous two federal requirements apply to all federal agencies and thus cover the Department of Education and students attending public schools. 

Additionally, there are several mandates that focus specifically on requirements for public schools.  We will discuss briefly the 1970 Memorandum and the Lau vs. Nichols (1974) US Supreme Court decision.

The Director of the Office of Civil Rights in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare issued what is known as the 1970 Memorandum in response to assessments of non-compliance with requirements of non discrimination on the basis of national origin in particularly large school districts with large student populations with Hispanic surnames.  This memorandum clarified the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act regarding public schools’ obligation to provide equal educational opportunities to all children regardless of national origin or language.  Of particular interest to the translation and interpretation services community is the statement that “…School districts have the responsibility to adequately notify national origin-minority group parents of school activities which are called to the attention of other parents. Such notice in order to be adequate may have to be provided in a language other than English.”  This memorandum also requires that schools take affirmative steps to rectify language deficiencies in cases where the inability to speak and understand English language excludes national origin-minority group children from effective participation in the school’s educational programs.

The US Supreme Court in Lau vs. Nichols (1974) reiterated the validity of the 1970 Memorandum requirements and its interpretation of the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and it further stated that schools must provide a “meaningful education.”  Thus, schools must provide language support to those students who are not proficient in English.

More recently, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires that specific information be provided to the extent practicable, in a language that parents can understand.  Information to be provided includes: achievement on academic assessments, annual state and local educational agency report cards, Parent’s Right-to-Know information, schools’ Title 1 Plan, if the school is identified for “school improvement” and its implications, availability of supplemental educational services, parents involvement information, information about reasons a child is identified as Limited English proficient and options available to improve the student’s English language proficiency.

In December 2010 the School District of Philadelphia reached a settlement with the US Justice Department regarding harassment and discrimination issues against Asian students.  The settlement requires the School district to provide interpretation and translation services to immigrant students and their families, develop and implement anti-harassment policies, improve multiculturalism and diversity programs, and develop safety and emergency response plans.

This settlement was followed by a Memorandum from the Attorney General in February 2011 which restates the obligation for all government agencies to comply with Executive Order 13166 of 2000 which required all federal agencies to “develop and implement a system by which limited-English-proficient (LEP) persons can meaningfully access the agency’s services”, and requires all government agencies to establish a language-access working group.

Examples of typical services to facilitate communication between staff and parents include translation of:

·     Periodic newsletters from classroom teachers to parents reporting on class academic progress and classroom planned activities

·     Progress report cards and comments on individual student academic performance and behavior

·     Monthly newsletter to parents from school principal

·     Bulletins and general interest announcements to the school community

·     Posters and bulletins for internal display within the school facilities

Additionally, providing interpretation services during the following activities will facilitate communications and improve parent involvement in the children’s education:

·     Parent-teacher conference meetings to discuss periodic student academic performance and behavior

·     Individualized Educational Program (IEP), Student Assistance Team (SAT) and Title I meetings

·     Telephone calls to parents to report academic progress as well as disciplinary issues

·     Meetings and formal hearings with school staff and parents regarding disciplinary issues

·     Special school programs to celebrate school and community diversity such as December Holidays celebration, ethnic/cultural celebrations

·     Periodic activities and programs to enhance parents and community participation such as Math nights, Science and Invention Fair nights

·     Visits to the school by parents

·     Language, Occupational or health interventions to limited-English-proficient students

·     Language accommodations during regular performance assessments and state mandated testing

The overall responsibility of the translator/interpreter is to be a resource to school staff, parents and students, to validate the language and culture of the minority group and to act as a role model to the students regarding bilingual capabilities and opportunities.  Implementation of an effective translator/interpretation program at the school will not only facilitate compliance with the law but will also improve participation of the parents in the children’s education process and will create a positive impact on the students academic and behavioral performance.

References

1970 Memo Regarding Language Minority Children, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

Executive Order 13166 of August 11, 2000- Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Lau vs Nichols (1974), U.S. Supreme Court

Refugee Children in U.S. Schools: A Toolkit for Teachers and School Personnel, Bridging Refugee Youth & Children’s Services, at http://www.brycs.org/publications/schools‐toolkit.cfm

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Title VI Compliance Issues, Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights