If you or your staff are learning Spanish in order to speak with families, learn how to say in Spanish that you value Spanish. Below I have some examples, but make it work with your authentic voice.

• I admire my bilingual students. Admiro a mis alumnos bilingües.
• Bilingualism is an important skill! El bilingüismo es una habilidad* importante. *Remember the "h" in Spanish is always silent. "Habilidad" sounds like "abilidad".
• Will you help me practice my Spanish? ¿Me ayudas a practicar mi español?
• Spanish is so important and beautiful! ¡El español es tan importante y hermoso!

My mom is a professional artist and graphic designer. I grew up with conversations about how design is about more than making something look nice -- it is about having a tangible effect: making the message easier to read, making the reader feel a certain way, for example. For science fair projects, my mom would not abide me cutting construction paper and gluing it to my board with a glue stick like a normal child. She taught me how to use the paper cutter (like the one in the teacher work room) to make 90 degree cuts, and how to use spray mount to lay out my work on the tri-fold board free of air bubbles. (Yes, I was that kid, but rest assured the content of my science fair projects was not on par with the design: Which cereal stays the crunchiest the longest? was an actual experiment I ran.)

Fast forward to 2009 when I started teaching first grade 12 miles north of the Texas-Mexico border. I taught Reading, Writing, Social Studies, and Science in Spanish. I taught Math in English. 24 of 27 students were native Spanish-speakers.

My school implemented a bilingual program, in which I was a bilingual teacher, and yet when I looked for Spanish read aloud books, I had a hard time finding any, much less engaging texts for 6-year-olds. So every weekend, I drove 45 minutes one way to the closest city library to check out books in Spanish that I could use for my lessons. The selection was much better.... but I noticed something.

In the English children’s book section, there was no shortage of gorgeous watercolor illustrations illustrations, compelling covers that drew you to pull the book off the shelf, beautiful stories. On the other hand, the Spanish books mostly didn't.

I never grew up thinking about the font inside of children’s books, but after internalizing the design conversations my mom had with and around me as a child, I sure did when I was perusing the stacks at the library. The English books contained beautiful, clean easy-to-read fonts. The Spanish books used what appeared to be free fonts you could find in MS Word, and that I could (and did) use when creating my own worksheets. They were harder for the eye to follow. Sometimes they would be printed in curvy lines across the page, making it that much harder to access.

Either that, or the Spanish translation of the book wasn’t given it’s own book, it was put underneath the English on the page, often in italics or some other differentiating visual – as if Spanish didn't deserve it's own book, but was English's tag-along buddy.
Despite the fact that the content of the Spanish books was beautiful, engaging, and affirming, they just looked less than. They didn’t make you want to pick up the book and open the pages just by looking at them. If I noticed the difference, and if I have since learned that many other bilingual educators noticed, do I think my students noticed? Yes, I do. Whether consciously or not, I learned from my mother that the way something is presented affects how you feel about it.

The Spanish texts available to our students were sending the message that Spanish isn't as good, isn't as pretty, isn't as important as English. The presentation (i.e. publisher budgets) of the Spanish books probably even prevented the cover from ever being cracked, the story from ever being read.

This was one contributing factor to why I was so determined to be the best Spanish Language Arts teacher I could be. I wanted to be a model for my students that Spanish is important, that it is beautiful, that it has inherent value.

That is what I think educators model when they make the effort to learn Spanish and speak it with students and families. No, it doesn’t lead to fluid native-level conversations, but it does lead to connection and it does foster relationship. It also models for students and families that at this school, in this community Spanish is respected and valued.

You can increase the impact of that message by saying explicitly: Spanish is important, bilingualism is special.

Of course Spanish has inherent value regardless of whether other non-native speakers are trying to learn it or not, but the message our society sends by and large is that Spanish is less than. It isn’t as nice. It doesn’t deserve it’s own book or the same publishing resources.

Write down one authentic belief you have about the value of Spanish or bilingualism. Put it in your voice, and type it into Google Translate. (Yes, I am giving you permission to use Google Translate. It can be a tool for learning language.)

Then practice saying it ... to yourself, in the car, in the shower, to your children. Then say it to students, then parents.

Doing this will mean you not only model your believe by learning Spanish, but you make sure your school community receives your message loud and clear.

My mission is to help educators connect with Spanish-speaking students and families. If you or your staff want to learn practical role-focused Spanish faster than what you can learn using a phone app, you can join a Spanish course for your role, or bring a course to your schools! Just:

1. ​Schedule a free call​
2. Tell me your thoughts, and we can discuss options
3. Contribute to a more inclusive, welcoming school environment for Spanish-speakers!

I have a love-hate relationship with email. In education, especially, email can feel like an untameable beast. For that reason, I am constantly thinking about how I make my emails actually helpful in the whirlwind of our work. In that spirit, I am trying something new! To see what I mean, keep going.

I would love to know if you find this approach helpful or not. Also, if you have a specific challenge you would like to receive a solution for, I'd love to hear from you about that, too!

I'll send a tip like this about communication equity every two weeks. In between, I'll send you something specific to Spanish for staff.

​Use real family case studies in your professional development when you train staff on language access in order to drive home the "why" of what you are asking them to do.

​When I stepped into the role of ELL Coordinator in 2018, it was the first time the department had existed. There were absolutely no resources for translation or interpretation, much less protocols and systems around their usage. I spent the first year researching our options for telephonic and in-person interpretation, translation, etc. I spent the next three years training staff on using them, and seeing almost zero change in staff behavior. They continued to either rely on me to communicate for them or just not doing it in a language accessible way at all.

Finally, in my fifth year in the role, I nailed it. I led a summer PD session with all staff that was the catalyst for changing staff behavior during the school year. Interpreter phone calls have increased more than 10 times in one year, and translation and in-person interpretation increased by more than 7 times without me stepping in to do it for them and without much of an increase in our multilingual family numbers. Multiple times, building leaders and staff named my summer PD as the most effective support they and their staff received.

One of the big changes I made in my PD session was to use case studies to emphasize why their ownership in language access is crucial.

Case studies were the very first item on my session agenda. I wrote up four case studies: three were real stories about how failure to provide language access had a tangible and real impact on a student or family in our district, and the fourth was a collection of parent/caregiver quotes that I compiled from our annual parent interviews so staff could hear the "why" in their voices.

I was going to do a jigsaw activity with the case studies to save time -- split up into four groups, read one case study, then teach the whole group what they read. However, our President of Academics gave me the feedback that I should have everyone read every case study, and just take the extra twelve minutes it would take to make that possible. I was so grateful for that feedback. It made all the difference, and the reason I think the case studies were so important for everyone to read is this:
When we are asking non-ELL staff to ensure translation of every message, form, document, email, etc.; when we are asking them to book an interpreter for meetings, conferences and events; when we are asking them to place a call using an interpreter, we are asking them both to do something extra and change they way they have been doing things for a really long time.

Why would anyone do something extra or be motivated to change old habits without deeply understanding the why? And with a group that hasn’t been communicating or building relationships with multilingual families, they don't have that understanding. It is literally our job in the PD session to give them a window into the lives of the people it is their job to serve, and how their actions impact their lives and student outcomes. The case studies cultivate empathy, which opens people ears and hearts to the instructions you are about to give them. That is why they are so crucial.

I had an experience with a social worker at a school recently that inspired me to write this email. Before I do, I want to share that this social worker is fantastic -- passionate about helping kids, is action-oriented, and good at her job. But I continue, because I think it paints a picture of misses and near-misses that happen in schools across our country every day.

Imagine a scenario with me. We have a counselor, a student, and a parent, all of whom are native speakers of English and are speaking English to each other. Nothing out of the ordinary here.

The parent has come in to meet with the counselor, and it has been arranged for the fourth grade student, Maura, to be present as well. This is how the meeting starts ...
Counselor: Can you tell your mom “Thank you” for coming in today?

Student: She says thank you for coming.
Mother: You’re welcome.
Counselor: Tell your mom that you told me she and your dad are getting a divorce, and I want to talk about how I can help you get through this time.
Student: [doesn’t say anything]
Counselor: Can you tell her that, please?
Student: [uncomfortably] Uhm, Mom? You know how you told me you and Dad aren’t going to be married anymore? I told my teacher. And now Ms. Peters wants to talk to you about it. She says she wants to help me, because, uhm, she says it'll be hard and stuff.
Mother: [stunned silence].​

* * * * * * ​* * * * * * ​* * * * * * * * * * * *
We might expect the next thing this mother to say is, “Why is my daughter part of this conversation right now?” and she might be quite upset, and rightfully so. When we read this scenario, it is clearly a very bad decision to involve this child in this way. So obviously bad, in fact, that no one would even consider doing this.

Yet the competent, passionate, eager social worker I spoke to recently had this very plan in mind for a parent meeting the next day. Why? Because mom is a Spanish-speaker, so she thought, well, Maura speaks Spanish and English, so she can be my translator, and I’ll just keep things basic to make it easier for her.

If we wouldn’t do this with English-speakers... if it is clearly a horrible horrible idea for English-speakers... if we know it is detrimental to the child’s well-being and is the opposite of taking care of an English-speaking child... if we know that it is bad for the trust and relationship with the English-speaking mother...

Then why on earth would we do it to a mother and child who speak a language other than English? (And let me clarify that this meeting with this particular social worker did not wind up happening this way; the social worker was given clear instructions and used a professional interpreter to conduct this meeting without the child present.)

You might think, well we never use students as interpreters at my school.
I would ask you, how sure are you about that? Are you positive that there is never a time when a well-meaning, otherwise competent staff member might have asked a student to help them communicate with their parent?

Even if not, you might think, well, we have a teacher who speaks Spanish, and she’s the ELL teacher anyway, so she already has a relationship with the families, and she would translate in this meeting.

Let’s dig into that a bit more, too. Let’s assume the ELL teacher is completely fluent in Spanish and won’t have any language gaps, won’t struggle with any vocabulary or constructing correct, professional sentences. What would the ELL teacher otherwise be doing at this time? Would she be teaching Maura and several of her classmates a lesson they will now miss by no fault of their own? Would she be planning a lesson to deliver next week, which she will now has to rush? What will happen after this meeting? Will the ELL teacher continue to play the go-between between counselor and mom on an ongoing basis, continuing to pull her from her instructional responsibilities, not just today but ongoing? Having been in this situation myself, the answer is most likely yes.

Using a fluent staff member (unless their job responsibilities officially include translation and interpretation, they are trained in such and have regular time to do so) creates inequities for the very same group they are being asked to interpret for. It’s like robbing Peter to pay Paul. And it is completely avoidable.

That is why I decided to leave my ELL Coordinator role and help schools full-time, to implement protocols, training, and accountability across their schools, to avoid situations like the one above. I will be helping schools create equitable language access for the parents while letting the child be a child and allowing the teacher to help that child learn and grow.

At my own schools, non-ELL staff use of in-person interpreters and translation services increased more than seven times from the 21-22 to the 22-23 school year, and their use of phone call interpretation has increased by more than six times. Again, that is not including ELL staff​ communications. As a result, families have better access, ELL services are uninterrupted, and staff are gaining greater insight into the students and families they serve.​

In my experience, most schools handle communication with families who speak a language other than English in one of two ways:

Way #1: The school essentially does nothing to ensure the family receives communication and access in their preferred language. The families are, in essence, kept in the dark because no one has installed the electricity.

Sad and illegal, but it happens ... 

Way #2: The school employs a free or paid tool to translate digital communication and/or hires strategically to bridge the language divide: maybe a full-time staff member who happens to speak another language or maybe an actual family liaison. 

That strategic hiring then checks the box, and everyone else forgets about multilingual communication. It's been handled. 

Both of these approaches are a problem.

When I stepped into the role of ELL Coordinator in 2018, it was the first time the department had existed, and there were absolutely no resources for translation or interpretation, much less protocols and systems around their usage. I spent the first year researching our options for telephonic and in-person interpretation, translation, etc. I spent the next three years training staff on using them, and seeing almost zero change in staff behavior. They continued to either rely on me to do their communicating for them, or just not doing it in a language accessible way at all. Finally, in my fifth year in the role, I nailed it. I led a summer PD session with all staff that was the catalyst for changing staff behavior. Interpreter phone calls increased by more than 10 times from the previous year, and translation and in-person interpretation increased by more than 7 times without me stepping in to do it for them. Multiple times, building leaders and staff named my summer PD as the most effective support they received in doing so. I want to share my lessons learned, one tip at a time, starting with today.​

​Use real case studies in your professional development to drive home the “why” of language access.

​Case studies were the very first meaty section of my professional development. I wrote up four case studies: three were real stories about how failure to provide language access had a tangible and real impact on a student or family in our district, such as a new kindergartener missing the first six weeks of school, because her mom couldn’t access information about before care, and no one was calling about her attendance. The fourth was a collection of parent/caregiver quotes that I compiled from our annual parent interviews. 

I was going to do a jigsaw activity to save time. (Until recently, I was always trying to minimize PD time, being afraid of asking for too much, maybe connected with my personal hang-ups on wanting to always accommodate and please). However, our President of Academics gave me the feedback that I should have everyone read every case study, and just take the extra twelve minutes it would take to make that possible. I was so grateful for that feedback. It made all the difference, and the reason I think the case studies were so important for everyone to read is this:

When we are asking non-ELL staff to ensure translation of every message, form, document, email, etc.; when we are asking them to book an interpreter for meetings, conferences and events; when we are asking them to place a call using an interpreter, we are asking them both to do something extra and to change they way they have been doing things for a really long time.

Why would anyone do something extra or be motivated to change old habits without deeply understanding the why? And with a group that hasn’t been communicating or building relationships with multilingual families, they are starting from ground zero. It is our job in the PD session, to give them a window into the lives of the people it is their job to serve, and how their actions impact their lives as well as student outcomes. The case studies cultivate empathy, which opens people ears and hearts to the instructions you are about to give them. That is why they are so crucial.

​Keep a bank of stories throughout the school year, so when something happens that could have been avoided by someone implementing multilingual communication correctly, write it down. Then, when it is time to write your PD session, you have a bank of stories to draw on to build your case studies. To ramp up the effectiveness, you can select them such that you have different ones that will resonate with different roles and what is most important to them. For example, some people care deeply about attendance, others about academic outcomes, others about the family experience, etc.