by Mona Iskander
AMBI: rojas teaching a class full of people
NARR: It is noon on a Thursday afternoon at the Latin American Integration Center in Queens. It is a place where immigrants can come to help adjust to life in the city. In the back of the office, an English-as-a-second language class is in full swing. A group of 15 adults repeat sentences in unison. Luz Rojas conducts the class.
BRING UP AMBI WITH STUDENTS REPEATING....
In this one class, about half of Rojas' students have school-age children. They spend a lot of time talking about their children's schools and how they can understand the system.
ACT: ROJAS: Track 31:its very difficult for them, they don't understand so they bring the letters to our center and we translate the letters for them.
NARR: The letters are in English and Rojas translates permission slips, report cards and other important notices. She says that much of the time, schools don't provide translations and the parents grow frustrated. This problem is not unique to Spanish-speakers. Whether its Spanish, Chinese or Korean, Advocates for Children and the New York Immigration Coalition found that as many more immigrant parents do not receive translations services.
Maria Llivicura is one of these parents. She used to take classes with Rojas but hasn't had time this year. Her 11-year-old daughter was left back last year. She's frustrated because she couldn't reach out to her own daughter.
ACT: MARIA: 17:00 50 Yo quiero ayudar a la nina yo iba todas las dias mire como estar mi nina, en que forma la puede ayudar, como le puede ayudar le escribi la lectura trataba de darle la mas que pude, no pude, yo canse.
VO: I want to help my daughter and every day i would go and say, how can i help my daughter. how can i help the writing, lectures, i wanted to give her more, but i couldn't. i collapsed
NARR: Llivicura went to PTA meetings. She tried to get involved in her daughter's school life. She wanted to know what was happening with the Regents exams and how the school system was changing. But meetings were held in English and she couldn't follow the principal.
ACT: ***Track 13 1:02 porque no sabia ingles yo no entendia nada y yo salia como tonta porque yo no entendi. Y sali y pregunto a otros padres y que dije que es lo que esta pasando.
NARR: The study pointed out worsening communications between these parents and their schools. Over half of those surveyed did not receive oral translations in PTA meetings like the ones that Llivicura attended.
Sonal Patel is a staff lawyer at Advocates for Children. She says that parents should have to right to become involved in the system.
ACT: PATEL: 5:00 this is about giving the oppt. and option and access. if you look at report, a large percent said that they would be involved in a variety of ways. and so its more about access than anything else.
NARR: She says the solution is the creation of a centralized office or point of contact for all translation services within the Department of Education.
Other large cities have made an effort to include immigrant parents into their schools and Patel says that this could serve as a model for new york.
ACT: PATEL: 6/2:35 for example, la is the second largest school district and they set up v. centralized unit.. centralized translation and interpretation and v. successful in making thsi centralized system. and could serve as best practice for ny.
NARR: Last year the Bloomberg administration took steps toward addressing immigrant parents by setting up parent coordinators in all public schools. Community based organizations praised this step but said that schools and parents need more.
NARR: Since the survey was released, there are some signs of improvement. Maria Llivicura received a letter in the mail from the school in both Spanish and English. It was an invitation to the first bilingual PTA meeting next Tuesday. She will be there.
For Columbia Radio News, I'm Mona Iskander.