The purpose of this position is to serve as a bilingual resource for interactions between the school, home/parents, and community. The Bilingual Parental Assistant will facilitate communication between the school and EL students and/or parents by helping with written and verbal translation in order to achieve greater comprehension of needs and recommendations.

•Serve as a liaison between the home, school, and community.

•Serve as an advocate for EL students and families. 

•Analyze and inform parents and staff of the various influences that affect student/parent/school/community relationships.

•Assist staff in understanding cultural and socio-economic circumstances of families.

•Promote mutual respect, understanding and support between school and parents.

•May provide support during parent conferences and home visits in an Interpreter/Translator role.

•Establish rapport which encourages staff consultations and utilization of the bi-lingual assistant. 

•May translate documents to/from English and the native language.

•Support and assist parents in expressing their concerns about their children to school personnel through interpretation/translation and/or guiding the parent through accepted processes and procedures.

•Encourage parents to visit, observe, and participate in their child’s school program.

•Helps to assure that services are provided to parents and children in a culturally responsive manner.

•Ensure that confidentiality is maintained regarding families and children.

•Keep, complete, and update accurate records.

•Performs other related duties as assigned.

•Fluency and literacy in appropriate language at conversational level for site population. 

•Ability to assist teachers in arranging conferences with parents.

•Ability to serve as a translator/interpreter or facilitator for EL parents.

•Ability to assist staff in facilitating appropriate discipline and attendance referrals.

•Ability to work with social worker, school nurse, guidance counselor in helping students and parents to utilize community service agencies.

•Ability to secure the cooperation of students/parents, obtain needed information and provide guidance toward needed services for them.

•Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with students, families, community service agencies, school officials and staff.

•Ability to interpret school programs to groups and individuals.