Special Education Educational Interpreter at Erma Siegel Elementary - Murfreesboro City Schools

Murfreesboro City Schools

Special Education Educational Interpreter

Special Education Department

Revised on 07/16/2018

Credentials: Must hold a valid Tennessee School Services Personnel license with the appropriate endorsement or must meet the following employment standards:


(i) Hold at a minimum an associate's degree;
(ii) Obtain a passing score on the written portion of the Educational Interpreter
Performance Assessment (EIPA); and
(iii) Obtain a minimum score of 3.0 on the performance assessment portion of
the EIPA.

Other Qualifications: Must meet at least one of the three requirements defined in the Tennessee Department of Education Employment Standards for Educational Interpreters. Rule 0520-1-03 (10). Must be able to use a variety of signing methods (i.e., ASL, PSE, MCE, Contact Signing) in order to effectively interpret for all deaf and hearing-impaired students to whom assigned, regardless of their background or sign systems. Previous experience working with deaf and hearing -impaired students as an educational interpreter in a public school setting preferred. Must be able and willing to take direction, and able to work independently and as a team member. Must have strong interpersonal skills-able to interact positively with students, staff and parents.

Physical Demands: This person must be physically active and interactive throughout the day, have excellent memory; be emotionally mature and able to handle stress; possess the intellectual, sensory, and motor skills necessary for efficient office management, be flexible and the ability to work in an open, potentially distracting environment.

Essential Job Functions: The Educational Interpreter will, under the direction of the Coordinator of Special Education and the oversight of the Teacher for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, provide sign language interpretive services to eligible deaf and hard of hearing students to enable each student access to curricular and other school-related activities. Other job functions include:

1. Recognize that deaf and hard of hearing students come from a variety of backgrounds and sign systems and will utilize the signing method with which the IEP team has deemed appropriate. This may include ASL, PSE, MCE, Contact Signing, etc.
2. Provide sign language interpretive services in the educational setting as specified in the IEP's of eligible deaf and hard of hearing students.
3. Sign Language Interpreters are to remain in the classrooms where they are assigned at all times. Interpreters should interpret all messages faithfully, conveying the content and spirit of the speaker. When interpreting from spoken English to Sign, the educational interpreter will communicate in the manner most easily understood by the deaf or hard of hearing student. When working from Sign to spoken language, the interpreter will speak the language used by the hearing person.
4. Under the direction of the subject area teacher, assist deaf or hard of hearing students to better comprehend the material presented-but never assuming the role of the teacher.
5. When the Educational Sign Language Interpreter is not interpreting for a student, they are to report to the Teacher for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for duties. Additional duties may include but are not limited to:
   1. Assisting students in the D/HOH classroom.
   2. Assisting the D/HOH Teacher with lesson material preparation.
   3. Utilizing time to improve on interpreter signing skills.
6. Provide interpretive services in various setting about the school, campus and community, as directed by the teacher for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
7. Establish as fully as possible a supportive relationship with students to whom assigned without fostering or encouraging intense personal or emotional attachments.
8. Defer all inquiries or concerns regarding students from parents, teachers, staff members or other students to the supervising Teacher for the Deaf and hard of hearing or to the school administrator.
9. Address concerns or questions regarding individual students to the supervising Teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing or the appropriate IEP team members ONLY.
10. Demonstrate conduct and dress appropriate to the interpreting situation and the school setting.
11. Accept the same responsibility and authority as other classified members of the education staff and abide by all applicable policies and procedures.
12. Assume responsibility for knowing and following all policies and procedures which apply to the position.
13. Satisfactorily complete all staff development and training activities required by the school system.
14. Assume full responsibility for maintaining and improving sign language skills as well as maintaining licensure, certification, etc. required for employment as an educational sign language interpreter.
15. Confidentiality within an educational setting means that the interpreter can only talk with members of the educational team about a student. Interpreters should freely address concerns about a student with the Teacher for the Deaf. However, Sign Language Interpreters are responsible for reporting any and all incidences in which a student's safety or wellbeing is in danger.
16. Interpreters are to interpret all information made available to their hearing peers. Students, General Ed Teachers, Interpreters do not dictate what will be interpreted. Closed Captioning is not a substitute for interpreting.

Staff Relationship: Reports directly to the Supervisor of Special Education.

Terms of Employment: Ten Months. Eligible for benefits set annually. Non-exempt.