If your child serves as your interpreter or translator when you need to speak with a teacher or guidance counselor, you may be giving the child undue authority.

According to Sofia Molina, lead kindergarten teacher at Our Lady of Grace Montessori School in Manhasset, Long Island, this situation happens mostly in families in which parents have a long work day and do not speak English, and it gives the child a certain amount of power.

For example, if the guidance counselor or principal wants to meet with parents to let them know about the student’s behavior, the child will not want them to know about her bad behavior and will communicate to her own advantage, omitting part of the information. The child, just because she is bilingual, thus obtains a degree of authority, explains Molina.

“It’s a very delicate situation, since often the student distorts the message and translates the facts incorrectly, especially if he is negatively affected,” says teacher Josefa Vega.

The lack of translators and the fear that Latino parents have about their involvement in schools worsens the situation. For that reason, Molina invites adults to take part in school activities to lessen their fear and shyness, so that when it is time to speak to the teacher, there will be more trust. As Mayor Bloomberg says, the key to teaching children is parental involvement.

Although fear persists, parents should remember that in most establishments there are people who speak Spanish and centers of assistance for those who do not speak English. There are also parent coordinators and after-school programs that have staff certified to give the necessary support to students and their guardians, says Vega.

Adults need to know that every time they speak to a school staff member they are creating trust that can help them later, says psychologist Iris Yankelevich of the organization YES.

Amelia Dolóres experienced a change when she came to New York, and she did not want to become involved at P.S. 16 in Corona, Queens. But in time she understood that distancing herself from the school was affecting her daughter Daniela (8) and son Jesús (10). The reason was language.

“Since I didn’t know English, I was scared to confront the teacher. She sent me appointments, and I avoided them,” confesses Dolóres, who is 38 years old and originally from Ecuador. In July 2000 she decided to challenge the educational system and began studying English in the public library. She began to get involved in her children’s homework. Now, after five years, she feels proud of her achievements and of her children’s good grades.

Unfortunately, not all people react this way. Studies show that most Latino parents work long hours and do not have much time to dedicate to teaching their children.

Faced with this situation, many education professionals agree that the best solution would be more translators in the schools, and to have teachers hold more multidisciplinary meetings with parents, so that if and when their child has learning or behavior problems, they can speak directly to the adults, and the child’s participation is not necessary. It’s better to have an impartial professional bilingual translator who works in the school to assist.

If you would like more information about this topic, please visit the Department of Education website or call the agency and ask for assistance in Spanish: www.nycenet.edu/Parents/