Position: Director - Language Access

Position Summary:

Under the direction of the Associate Superintendent, the Director – Language Access will have the overall responsibility for the administration of all language access services for Prince George’s County Public Schools. The incumbent of this position is responsible for providing guidance and supervision to full-time and temporary language access staff and contracted stakeholders. Responsibilities involve monitoring progress on departmental outcomes, initiatives and executing other administrative responsibilities as required.  The Director is responsible for developing an operational framework and related initiatives for the department, developing a budget based on analysis of needs, and conducting the evaluation of programs and the personnel in the department.  Special assignments are received through conferences, written instructions and requests from the Associate Superintendent for Communications & Community Engagement.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Establishes collaborative relationships with offices in PGCPS and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to promote effective communication flow about priorities, directives and language access accountability, to ensure that the district is meeting federal and state guidelines for language access services and services for deaf and hard of hearing parents and caregivers;
• Collaborates with Human Resources to ensure adequate language access staffing, participating in the selection processes for department staff;
• Coordinates and aligns with other district leadership as an active participant on district strategy teams, advisories, committees and partnering with external agencies as needed for language access strategy and planning;
• Leads the planning, design and implementation of professional development and training to school-based and central office personnel on effective language access practices, culturally proficient engagement practices, and staying connected to current research and national trends;
• Provides leadership and support to instructional and central office personnel to ensure compliance with laws, policies, and regulations pertaining to language access and specific requirements for special education;
• Provides leadership and support to schools and the district in the implementation of evidence-based and high impact practices that promote multilingual engagement and accessibility;
• Plans and implements professional development and other professional learning initiatives for full-time and temporary language access staff;
• Develops and manages the department’s budget; maintains strict fiscal accountability through the review of departmental hourly compensation and contracted services for language operations;
• Represents the school system at meetings and conferences at the local, state and national levels;
• Develops and coordinates administrative and record keeping systems that satisfy federal, state and county requirements, and participates in program audits as required by furnishing requested data;
• Collects and utilizes data to inform decisions for continuous improvement and coordinates proven, research-based methods and strategies for optimal language service provision and operations;
• Leads interpreting and translation coordinating personnel in the processes and practices that facilitate productivity to meet district and school needs, modeling best practices in leadership and communication;
• Prepares reports required by MSDE and responds to informational requests by other system offices and external organizations;
• Evaluates assigned personnel in alignment with articulated Board of Education personnel guidelines and procedures; and
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Experience with state and federal programs, and working with schools with culturally and linguistically diverse populations;
• Familiarity with federal and state language access requirements and considerable knowledge of the field of interpreting and translation in education, including ADA service requirements for deaf and hard of hearing parents and caregivers;
• Experience in developing and executing programmatic, professional development and process functions of a comprehensive districtwide language access program;
• Familiarity of administrative methods and strategies to select, modify or develop responses to meet unexpected or complex program conditions;
• Ability to promote open communication and collaborative problem-based best practices; excellent interpersonal skills built on communication and collaboration;
• Considerable knowledge of budgeting, grant management and reporting requirements;
• Demonstrated leadership and administrative competency;
• Ability to operate computer systems with proficiency; possesses excellent writing and technology skills necessary for producing comprehensive reports and making presentations; and
• Second language proficiency preferred.

Education and/or Experience Requirements:

Master’s degree from an accredited college or university required; Doctorate degree preferred.  A minimum of five (5) years instructional experience and three (3) years of increasingly responsible experience in the fields of multilingual engagement and/or language access required.

Certification:

None required.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Oversees and provides guidance and direction to the unit staff.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, talk, hear, walk, sit, and use fingers, tools or controls. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision such as to read handwritten or typed material, the ability to adjust focus, and depth perception. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may occasionally push or lift up to 25 lbs.

Working Environment:

The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job.

Additional Information:

None.