![]() Since the mid-1980s, the district’s full-time interpretation staff has grown from just a handful of people to more than a dozen individuals. Language translation for non-English speaking parents has been a high priority at Brockton Public Schools for decades now. Since 2002, students across Massachusetts who speak a language other than English at home grew from 14% to 25%, according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. It’s a percentage that’s nearly doubled in the last 20 years, and far outpaced the statewide growth rate. Nearly half of all students in Brockton schools speak a language other than English with their parents and family at home. Employed by the district, they fill a major need as the population of the city - and school system - rapidly changes. The interpretation and translation staff here, most of whom are known as bilingual community relations facilitators, are employees of Brockton Public Schools. And on the far side, Jean Cherry spoke in Haitian Creole to a parent filling out a job form. On the opposite side of the room, Yavier Castro Soto spoke in Spanish to a parent who will be moving soon and is asking where to find financial assistance. In one corner, Adele Gomes asked a parent for her name and email address in Cape Verdean Creole. Located in a nondescript office park next to Westgate Mall, the only thing that stands out is a black and white sign that says the office’s name.īut inside the building, a distinct scene unfolds: a hum of ringing phones, and multiple conversations in several languages. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)įrom the parking lot, the Multilingual Parent Communication Center in midtown Brockton is easy to miss. ELL Family Advocate Jean Cherry assists Silrose Cherismat, a parent of a child attending Brockton Public Schools, fill out an online job application at the Brockton Public Schools Multilingual Parent Communication Center.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |