Bilingual teachers and staff play a critical role in bridging the gap between schools and families who speak languages other than English. These educators not only teach and support students, but they also frequently act as interpreters and translators, facilitating communication between parents, students, and school staff. Despite the significant time, effort, and skill required for these additional responsibilities, bilingual educators are often expected to perform these tasks without additional compensation. This is both inequitable and unsustainable without additional compensation. This is both inequitable and unsustainable.

The Growing Need for Interpretation and Translation Services

The National Center for Education Statistics found, in 2021, there were more than 5.3 million multilingual learners (MLLs) in U.S. public schools, which is a little over 10% of U.S. public school students. For these students to achieve academic success and proficiency in the English language, these students and their families need consistent and clear communication with teachers and school administrators. This includes messages sent by the school district via email, app, and mail. Translation and interpretation services are also needed when creating an individualized education Plan (IEP), individualized language plan (ILP), 504, and behavior intervention plan (BIP). When schools lack dedicated interpreters or translators, bilingual staff members are often asked to step in for free.

While bilingual educators may be willing to assist, this additional responsibility takes time away from their primary duties, such as lesson planning, grading, and providing direct support to students. Furthermore, interpretation and translation require specialized skills beyond simply knowing two languages. Professionals in this field are trained to convey not only words but also meaning, tone, and cultural nuances—a task that demands both expertise and training.

The Cost of Uncompensated Labor

Asking bilingual educators to provide interpretation and translation services without compensation amounts to unpaid labor. 

For example, if there were two math teachers, one monolingual and one bilingual, they both accepted the job based on their ability to teach math. Unless the job posting explicitly states it is a bilingual math job, there should never be any expectation that the bilingual math teacher should voluntarily translate or interpret simply because the teacher is bilingual. 

This expectation undervalues bilingual teachers’ skills and places an undue burden on them, leading to burnout and job dissatisfaction. It also creates a disparity between bilingual and monolingual staff because the bilingual staff are expected to take on additional duties simply because of their language abilities.

The lack of compensation sends a harmful message about the value of bilingualism and cultural competence in education. At a time when schools should be promoting inclusivity, belonging, and equity, failing to compensate bilingual staff for these essential services undermines those principles.

Fair Compensation

To address this issue, schools and districts must implement policies recognizing and compensating bilingual educators for their interpretation and translation work. Here are some steps they can take:

1. Dedicated Stipends: Offer stipends to bilingual staff who regularly provide interpretation and translation services.
2. Hourly Pay for Extra Work: Compensate staff for time spent on these tasks outside their contracted hours.
3. Professional Development Opportunities: Provide training and certification programs for bilingual staff to enhance their interpretation and translation skills, with accompanying pay increases for certified individuals.
4. Hiring Dedicated Professionals: When possible, hire professional interpreters and translators to alleviate the burden on bilingual educators.

Additional Compensation Benefits

Compensating bilingual teachers and staff for their additional work benefits not only the educators but also the entire school community. Fair pay acknowledges the value of their contributions, boosts morale, and reduces the risk of burnout. It also ensures higher-quality interpretation and translation services, fostering better communication and stronger relationships between schools and families. Ultimately, this creates a more inclusive and equitable educational environment for all students and staff.

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