How Fresno-area parents can demand Spanish and Hmong translations from their child’s school

Spanish-speaking parents from different school districts across Fresno County said they are frustrated at the translation services provided at school board meetings and parent-teachers conferences.

Mothers from Familias Empoderadas, a group of Fresno-area parents, said their district-provided translators either don’t know the subjects discussed or educational terminology, omitted crucial information or the districts did not provide translators at all.

“There still is a language barrier,” said Alis Aleman in Spanish, one of the parent-leaders from Familias Empoderadas.

Familias Empoderadas was part of a filed complaint by the American Civil Liberties Union against Fresno Unified School District in August 2020. The complaint alleged the district failed to remove language barriers that limit meaningful parent participation, among other issues. Almost a year after filing, an investigation by the California Department Education ruled Fresno Unified did not discriminate against English learner students or parents.

However, Spanish-speaking parents continue to express concern when trying to interact with school districts across Fresno County and not finding it accessible and being discriminated against because of the language they speak.

Recently, parents said Sanger Unified School District “doesn’t care” about communicating with them, and Fresno Unified School District after-school program staffers were allegedly told it is “illegal” to speak Spanish at Manchester GATE Elementary.

Federal law requires translators and interpreters at schools

Schools must communicate information to limited English-proficient parents in the language they can understand about any program, service, or activity that is called to the attention of parents who are proficient in English, according to the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.

This includes but is not limited to parent-teacher conferences, language assistance programs and meetings to discuss students’ education.

Even when students, teachers and other school personnel at districts could help limited English-proficient parents, the Department of Education says a school cannot ask them to interpret for a parent or community member.

“Schools must provide translation or interpretation from appropriate and competent individuals,” a resource guide for parents reads, “and may not rely on or ask students, siblings, friends, or untrained school staff to translate or interpret for parents.”

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Because of this law, schools are “obligated to ensure” meaningful communication with limited English-proficient parents can happen, the DOE’s Office for Civil Rights said in an emailed statement to The Bee.

“Anyone can contact OCR if they believe a school district is not complying with a civil rights law that OCR enforces,” the department’s statement said, and directed the community to its website to do so.

The OCR may refer a complaint case to the Department of Justice if its investigation finds there is noncompliance from a district’s part, and the district doesn’t agree to resolve it and/or follow through the agreed remedial actions.

What Fresno County school districts provide

The Bee reached out to districts across Fresno County and asked the same questions about their language services and how parents, guardians and community members can access them. Below are answers from some of them.

Central Unified School District

A Central Unified School District representative said there is a full-time Spanish and Punjabi interpreter and a part-time Hmong and Arabic interpreter available upon request.

For parent-teacher or parent-counselor conferences, schools can schedule a translator for families that may need one. The district also encourages parents to make the request themselves in advance by reaching out to their student’s school.

The district also subscribes to Language Line, a telephone translation service, that can simultaneously translate communication between staff and parents in multiple languages.

At Board of Trustees meetings, “Spanish interpretations are always available” and Punjabi, Hmong and Arabic interpretations are available upon request, they said.

To request and schedule a translator for a meeting at one of Central Unified’s schools, the district asks those interested to contact their school site’s front office. Language Line is also available at school sites. If community members require language assistance at Board of Trustees meetings in other languages that are not English or Spanish, those interested can call (559) 274-4700 ext. 10150 to request the service for the language they need.

Coalinga–Huron Unified School District

Though Coalinga-Huron Unified School District provides most of its translation and/or interpretation services in Spanish, a district representative said they have hired outside services for other languages as needed.

For parent-teacher and parent-counselor meetings, translators can be present upon request and participate in individualized education programs (IEP) meetings, parent workshops and board meetings.

Parents and community members can also request a headset for Spanish interpretation during board meetings, through which a staff member can provide the interpretation for those needing it.

“Spanish interpreters are readily available for our parents if necessary,” the district said. For languages other than Spanish, Coalinga-Huron asks the community to make a request so they can hire translators or interpreters to help.

Parents can request this service with district and school staff members like administrators, administrative and office assistants, and teachers.

Clovis Unified School District

A Clovis Unified School District representative said there are translators available for events, meetings and other occasions for Spanish, Hmong, Punjabi and other spoken languages as well as ASL.

Clovis Unified schools or parents can utilize these services whenever needed, Kelly Avants, the district’s chief communications officer, said in an emailed statement.

“It’s reasonable to expect that a translator would be available,” Avants said. “We do our best to provide a translator as needed for our parents and community when we know of a need.”

If a parent, guardian or community member wants to guarantee a translator is available when they need it at Clovis Unified, Avants said they can request translation through their school site by talking to their student’s teacher, liaison, or the office staff.

Fresno Unified School District

Fresno Unified School District has hired staff that can assist Spanish- and Hmong-speaking community members. They also partner with national agencies that can provide “on-demand interpretation in over 100 languages,” the district’s Translation and Interpretation Services Department Executive Director Zuleica Murillo said in an emailed statement.

Murillo said these services are provided for a variety of student and family’s needs such as administrative meetings, parent-teacher conferences, board meetings, “and many more.”

“American Sign Language (ASL), Hmong, and Spanish interpreters are available at every board meeting and board workshop scheduled throughout the year,” she said. For parent-teacher or parent-counselor meetings, Murillo said the district interpreters are scheduled upon request, and schools also have bilingual staff available.

“Our district has also made a huge investment in home school liaison staff available at the school site eight hours a day for any in-house family needs,” she said.

To request an interpreter or translator at FUSD, Murillo said staff, families and all community members at the district can call the Family Connect line at (559) 457-3988 from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or submit an interpreter and/or translation request through their website.

Sanger Unified School District

A Sanger Unified School District spokesperson said all district communications are “always sent in English, Spanish and Hmong,” and translator and/or interpreters can be provided for “any language requested.”

When asked what the translator or interpreter request process looks like, the district answered it “depends upon the context of the meeting and language.”

The district said translators are present at site-level meetings and some district meetings such as the District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC) where administrators know parents of multilingual students will be preset.

For general district board meetings, however, the district said translation services are “always made available” to anyone if it was notified at least 48 hours before a scheduled meeting so it can ensure accessibility. To request special assistance, auxiliary aids or services, or translation services, for a Sanger Unified board meeting, community members can call the Superintendent’s Office at 559-524-6521.