District Translator

District Overview

The Holyoke Public Schools are committed to ensuring a high-quality education for all. We have invested in recruiting and retaining diverse top-quality educators who inspire bold thinking, recognize student potential, and encourage all students to work towards their goals. In Holyoke, we are committed to becoming an anti-racist district by focusing on:

• Anti-Racism Training for All Staff Members
• Policy Review and Revision
• Facilitating School Visits Through an Equity Lens
• Establishing the Holyoke Race and Equity Team
• Establishing Equity Indicators for Accountability of HPS Employees, Students, and Partners

We know that students do their best when they pursue their passions, so we have designed multiple pathways where all students graduate prepared to excel in college, career, and community leadership. Holyoke Public Schools (HPS) serves 5,400 students (of which over 80% are Latinx) in 13 schools and employs nearly 1,500 people.The District was placed into receivership by the State of Massachusetts in Spring 2015, because of struggling performance, and has since implemented a Turnaround Plan that has led to expanded choice programs (such as dual language, STEM, and early college) and new opportunities for students to explore the arts, sports, sciences, and local and world cultures. Since 2015, the District has experienced numerous accomplishments for instance:

• doubling access to PreK programming
• 10-point graduation rate increase
• 85 percent increase in access to early college programming
• 13-point increase (to 26%) teachers of color

Position Overview

The Holyoke Public Schools are committed to ensuring equitable language access for all families with limited English proficiency. The District's Language Access Team's mission is to ensure that families have meaningful access to all aspects of their child’s education – including programs, opportunities and services regardless of their language skills or cultural background. The team provides translation and interpretation services to individuals.

The District Translator and Interpreter (DTI) is responsible for (1) assisting with interpreting services, (2) managing translation projects, (3) translating written text and (4) maintaining a standard of practice and ethics consistent with translators and interpreters in education. The DTI will work collaboratively with the Language Access Team and participate in professional development to continue to advance and refine their skills. This position will have the ability to be a remote work position.

Translation and Translation Project Management

• Translate written text from English to Spanish language at equivalent style and register, taking into account concepts, meaning and cultural appropriateness
• Conduct research to properly transmit cultural references, including idioms and other expressions that do not translate literally
• Apply translation memory for consistent quality in translation
• Review Spanish grammar and language rules according to semantics, syntax and punctuation
• Process and finalize translation projects accurately and timely utilizing appropriate electronic platforms
• Review and edit graphics, images and tables producing documents with proper sizes, headers, footers and layout
• Delegate project tasks like file preparation, translation and proofreading through an in-house network to ensure timely delivery

Terminology Management

• Contribute to department translation style guides
• Research and localize terms for consistency and efficiency in translations
• Update the department’s electronic translation memories, and register new glossary entries to the termbase

Interpreting

• Work with spoken communication by interpreting concepts, style and tone accurately and clearly between limited English families and school staff in all modalities (i.e. virtual, consecutive, simultaneous)
• Contributes to glossary building for use in oral renditions
• Follow standards of practice and code of ethics for interpreters in a K-12 education

Other duties as required.

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS:

Experience, skills, traits and beliefs:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred in related field
• Advanced knowledge of working languages (e.g. register, grammar, semantics, syntax)
• Advanced Spanish writing skills (native language proficiency a plus)
• Familiarity with Google Suite tools, Microsoft Office and CAT Tools
• Experience in translation and proofreading
• Interpreter accreditation (or training course certificate of completion a plus)
• Must be willing to work on a flexible schedule and late hours, as needed
• Ability to work with people from various cultural backgrounds
• Advocacy and commitment to language access for limited English students and families

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS: Salary and benefits will be competitive and commensurate with experience