Back-To-School and Back to Interpretation in the Classroom

Now that the back-to-school season has arrived, the need for interpretation in the classroom is also back. Across the country, K-12 schools are serving increasingly diverse communities. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in the 2021–22 school year approximately 10.6% of public school students in the United States were classified as English learners, totaling about 5.3 million students. For many students and families in K-12 schools, English isn’t their primary language. Interpretation and translation help bridge the gap and provide equitable opportunities to engage with schools, stay informed, and advocate for children. 

Boostlingo recently revealed the findings from their 2025 Education Interpretation Survey. This survey largely focused on the state of interpretation in education. The survey gathered insights from 60 professionals across K–12, higher ed, and Head Start programs.

The survey found interpretation and language access within education is still very much needed and an important service to have.

• 53% of education interpretation users expect to use more video remote interpretation services in the next year.
• 43% expect to use more over-the-phone interpretation services.
• 23% expect to use more onsite interpretation services.

District leaders are navigating a complex landscape. Tight budgets, shifting federal policies, and administrative disruptions have left many wondering how to maintain essential services, including language services. Amid this, schools are trying to eliminate the need to use students and bilingual staff as an interpreter.

Schools may be tempted to rely on untrained bilingual staff or volunteers for interpreting when budgets are strained. Giovanna Carriero-Contreras, Chair Elect warned against this, “We risk going back to what we’ve fought against: using unqualified resources to check a box. That’s not meaningful access, and it can have huge consequences.” 

Reasons to use professional interpreters instead of staff include:

1. While bilingual staff may speak two languages, using professional interpreters ensures fluency and that your cross-cultural communications will always be accurate and culturally sensitive. 
2. Professional interpreters have formal training, most being graduates from accredited language programs and are continuously pursuing professional development.
3. Instead of asking bilingual staff to leave their primary duties to interpret, professional interpreters can assist with the workload alleviating staff from additional tasks.
4. On-demand telephonic and video remote interpreting connects with an interpreter immediately and is available 24x7x365 in many languages ensuring you are connected quickly whenever interpretation is needed.
5. On-site interpreting can be scheduled in advance for meetings, parent conferences, and other situations that may benefit from an in-person interpreter.

Despite financial challenges, schools can implement smart strategies to maintain and improve their language services. Using an on-demand interpreter to start a conversation with parents and then using a remote or onsite interpreter to facilitate further communication is one example of ways CETRA can help schools.

CETRA offers multiple modes of interpretation in an educational setting. Our remote interpretation service can be scheduled in advance or accessed immediately on-demand. We will connect you with a qualified interpreter when needed. Our Over-the-Phone Interpretation and Video Remote Interpretation services are available in more than 250 languages and American Sign Language. Our interpreters are professional, experienced linguists with expertise in a wide variety of subject matter.

We also offer On-Site Interpretation to get your message across to a foreign audience in real time. Converting speech between two languages requires interpreters who are experienced linguists, subject matter experts, and reliable professionals. Our interpreters will make sure that your audience gets the message.

Overall, education still has a large need for language access and interpretation, and it only continues to grow. With AI evolving as well as virtual interpretation remaining strong, many schools will rely on these modes of interpretation for their cost saving and accessibility moving forward.

Contact us to request more information about our interpretation services and how we can assist in your communication needs.