The Interpreter Is Doing Too Much

The arrangement blurs three distinct roles: interpreter, instructor, and tutor. An educational interpreter's job is to facilitate communication, not to explain content, clarify test questions, manage behavior, or grade work. When Ms. R clarifies test items, she is making the test easier and changing what it measures; Jonah's score rise may reflect her help, not his knowledge. When a science teacher asks her to explain lab directions and grade group work, the teacher has outsourced instruction and evaluation to someone without that authority. Lunch duty is not interpreting, but it reduces her availability and sets a precedent that her role is general support. The paid tutoring contract creates a conflict of interest: she is now financially invested in Jonah's performance and may be tempted to help in class. Confidentiality is also a concern if she discusses Jonah with teachers who do not need to know. The principal's 'it's working' rationale focuses on short-term convenience, not on Jonah's independence or the validity of his evaluations.

Call a team meeting with the principal, general education teachers, Ms. R, the DHH teacher, and Jonah's parents. Start with a written description of each role: the interpreter conveys messages faithfully and does not instruct, clarify, discipline, or grade; the general education teacher is responsible for instruction, grading, and behavior management; the DHH teacher provides language and access support and consultation. Agree on communication protocols: teachers provide materials and vocabulary in advance, the interpreter uses a consistent sign for 'I don't know' or 'clarify,' and Jonah is taught to ask for repetition or clarification himself. Set a weekly 10-minute check-in between the DHH teacher and Ms. R and a monthly team review. Address lunch duty by having the principal assign it to staff whose duties do not conflict with interpreting. Document the roles in the IEP or a service plan so substitutes and new teachers follow the same expectations. The goal is to build Jonah's independence, not adult dependence.

For testing, the IEP team must decide accommodations before the test and put them in writing. The interpreter may interpret directions if that is the agreed accommodation, but she should not clarify or explain test questions; that would invalidate the score. If Jonah needs a read-aloud or ASL interpretation of items, the team should specify it and arrange a neutral person or a recorded version, not the interpreter who works with him daily if that creates a conflict. For the after-school tutoring, the team should review whether it is appropriate for Ms. R to tutor her own student. Even if the district permits it, the dual relationship can compromise her neutrality and create inequity. A better plan is to assign tutoring to a different qualified provider or to the DHH teacher within her role. If tutoring continues, set clear boundaries: no test help, no grading, and no discussion of classroom performance. Document the decision and review Jonah's scores to see whether gains hold without in-class clarification.