Bryant School District

Language Interpreter/Community Liaison

Department: District Administration
Job Status: Full Time
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Reports To: ESL Coordinator
Grade/Level: Classified
Amount of Travel Required: Varies
Job Type: Regular
Positions Supervised: None.
Work Schedule: 190-day contract; Hours are typically 7:30-4:00 p.m. daily with 30-minute lunch and two 15-minute breaks. Hours set by supervisor. The daily schedule may be adjusted as required to meet the needs of the District.

POSITION SUMMARY
The Language Interpreter/Community Liaison will provide support to the instructional program with specific responsibilities for providing information on programs/services available to students and families as well as school and/or district activities and procedures, referring families to other agencies, and fostering an ongoing partnership between home and school.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Reasonable Accommodations Statement
To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Functions Statement(s)

• Act as an interpreter for students, staff, teachers, and families to convey information in meaningful ways in order to support students and engage families in home-school partnerships (applications for services, interpreting technical information, assisting with registration, truancy meetings, IEP meetings, behavior meetings, and other meetings).

• Accurately translate all requested materials from all buildings, to include, without limitation, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Office of Civil Rights documents, parent communications, district manuals, policies, forms and websites.

• Conduct home visits where fluency in English and Spanish will be necessary.

• Use G Suite (Google) and other computer programs to support teachers and/or administrators in providing necessary records/materials.

• Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with personnel in each building, campus and department.

• Conduct parent and guardian workshops regarding engagement and access to district programs.

• Assist with obtaining resources for at-risk students and their families, as needed.

• Communicate sensitive and confidential information with parents and guardians on behalf of school (attendance, homework, available programs and services, completion of required documentation) for the purpose of ensuring that an ongoing partnership between home and school is maintained.

• Maintain a variety of records (activity logs, phone logs, community resources) for the purpose of documenting activities, providing up-to-date reference and audit records, and for ensuring the availability of items.

• Refer students and their families to outside agencies (state agencies, medical professionals, counselors, foundations, charities).

• Respond to inquiries from a variety of internal and external sources to provide information and/or direction as may be necessary.

• Assist with bilingual special education testing and assessments.

• Collaborate with a variety of individuals and groups (community organizations/agencies, health departments, state agencies, district personnel) for the purpose of linking students and families to necessary services, overcoming cultural, linguistic, or economic barriers to services; bring support programs into schools.

• Perform other related duties as assigned, including occasional interpretation services during after-school and extracurricular events for the purpose of meeting student needs and ensuring effective communication between families and schools.

• Report to the proper authorities any cases of suspected child endangerment, neglect, or abuse.

• Report suspected bullying to building principal or designee as required by Arkansas law and district policies.

• Adhere to all policies of the District.

• Perform other duties as assigned by the ESL Coordinator.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Competency Statement(s)

• Accountability - Ability to accept responsibility and account for his/her actions.
• Accuracy - Ability to perform work accurately and thoroughly.
• Adaptability - Ability to adapt to a change in the workplace.
• Communication, Oral - Ability to communicate effectively with others using the spoken word.
• Communication, Written - Ability to communicate in writing clearly and concisely.
• Conflict Resolution – Ability to deal with others in an antagonistic situation.
• Creative – Ability to think in such a way as to produce a new concept or idea.
• Decision Making - Ability to make critical decisions while following district procedures.
• Diversity Oriented - Ability to work effectively with people regardless of their age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or job type.
• Detail Oriented - Ability to pay attention to the minute details of a project or task.
• Empathetic - Ability to appreciate and be sensitive to the feelings of others.
• Enthusiastic – Ability to bring energy to the performance of a task.
• Ethical - Ability to demonstrate conduct conforming to a set of values and accepted standards.
• Friendly - Ability to exhibit a cheerful demeanor toward others.
• Goal Oriented – Ability to focus on a goal and obtain a predetermined result.
• Honesty / Integrity - Ability to be truthful and be seen as credible in the workplace.
• Initiative - Ability to make decisions or take actions to solve a problem or reach a goal.
• Interpersonal - Ability to get along well with a variety of personalities and individuals.
• Judgment – The ability to formulate a sound decision using the available information.
• Loyal - The trait of feeling a sense of duty to the employer.
• Organized - Possessing the trait of being organized or following a systematic method of performing a task.
• Patience - Ability to act calmly under stress and strain, and of not being hasty or impetuous.
• Presentation Skills – Ability to effectively present information publicly.
• Regular attendance - Exhibiting regular attendance in order to perform duties in a satisfactory manner.
• Reliability - The trait of being dependable and trustworthy.
• Responsible - Ability to be held accountable or answerable for one’s conduct.
• Self-Motivated - Ability to be internally inspired to perform a task to the best of one's ability using his or her own drive or initiative.
• Tactful - Ability to show consideration for and maintain good relations with others.
• Team Builder – Ability to convince a group of people to work toward a goal.
• Working Under Pressure - Ability to complete assigned tasks under stressful situations.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

Education:

High school graduate or General Education Degree (GED): Required

Experience:

Three (3) years of interpreter experience preferred.

Computer Skills:
Shall be able to demonstrate an acceptable level of proficiency with computers and programs associated with the position.

Other Requirements:
1. Successful completion of pre-employment background checks.
2. Appropriate personal and professional conduct at all times around students, staff, and the general public.
3. Bilingual and biliterate in English and Spanish.
4. Familiar with, and knowledgeable of, Spanish-speaking cultures.
5. Interpreter credentials preferred or passing score on bilingual assessment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

N (Not Applicable) Activity is not applicable to this position.
O (Occasionally) Position requires this activity up to 33% of the time (0 - 2.5+ hrs/day)
F (Frequently) Position requires this activity from 33% - 66% of the time (2.5 - 5.5+ hrs/day)
C (Constantly) Position requires this activity more than 66% of the time (5.5+ hrs/day)

Physical Demands

Stand F
Walk F
Sit F
Manually Manipulate C
Reach Outward F
Reach Above Shoulder O
Climb O
Crawl N
Squat or Kneel O
Bend O
Grasp C
Speak C

Lift/Carry  

10 lbs or less F
11-20 lbs F
21-50 lbs O
51-100 lbs N
Over 100 lbs N

Push/Pull

12 lbs or less F
13-25 lbs F
26-40 lbs O
41-100 lbs O

 Other Physical Requirements

• Vision (Near, Distance, Color, Peripheral, Depth)
• Sense of Sound - Ability to carry on normal conversation.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
Most work is performed in an indoor office environment that is temperature controlled (heated and cooled) according to the season. The sound level ranges from very quiet to moderate depending on the activities being conducted.

The Human Resources Department has reviewed this job description to ensure that essential functions and basic duties have been included. It is intended to provide guidelines for job expectations and the employee's ability to perform the position described. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate. This document does not represent a contract of employment, and the Bryant School District reserves the right to change this job description and/or assign tasks for the employee to perform, as the District may deem appropriate.

It is the policy of the Bryant School District not to discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, or disability in its educational programs, activities, or employment practices.