Interpreter (Deaf and Hard of Hearing) - Fort Myers High School

The School District of Lee County•Fort Myers, FL

10d•Onsite

About The Position

The Interpreter (Deaf and Hard of Hearing) supports deaf and hard-of-hearing students in academic and vocational classes by interpreting instruction and facilitating communication so students can participate in classroom and extracurricular activities. The role includes voice-to-sign and sign-to-voice interpretation, adapting classroom materials, helping establish suitable communication settings, and using and maintaining specialized equipment. The interpreter also records assignments, helps ensure students have complete notes, and gathers classroom behavior and performance information for the teacher of the hearing impaired. The position provides interpretation during classes, counseling and evaluation sessions, IEP conferences, disciplinary situations, assemblies, school-related activities, and teacher-conducted conferences with parents or school personnel. The interpreter prepares for assignments by reviewing course content and materials, follows confidentiality requirements and the Interpreter Code of Ethics, and participates in ongoing skills training. The role also performs Medicaid administrative claims reimbursable activities as directed. The position is listed at $19.57 for 7 hours per day and 187 days. Compensation may increase based on relevant education and experience.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Meet one of the following: two years of study at an institution of higher education; an associate’s degree or higher; or successful completion of a formal academic assessment demonstrating the required knowledge and ability to assist in academic instruction or readiness instruction.
Certification as a Florida Registered Interpreter of Deaf, or proof of enrollment and attendance in training leading to certification.
Clear and concise oral and written communication skills.
Organizational and management skills.
Interpersonal skills.
Exceptional skill and speed in repetitive use of fingers, hands, and limbs.
Knowledge of deaf culture in contrast to hearing culture.
Knowledge of pertinent regulations, policies, and procedures for the assigned functional area.
Knowledge of HIPAA, Public Records, Sunshine Law, FERPA, and other laws and regulations related to student and employee privacy, public information, and records retention.
Knowledge of and experience with industry-standard equipment, materials, practices, computers, and applications.
Ability to respond professionally and effectively to customer needs and service requests.
Ability to understand and use communication modes employed by students and to voice interpret students’ signed communications.
Ability to stand for prolonged periods.
Ability to listen closely for extended periods.
Ability to listen and sign simultaneously for up to 90 minutes at a time, up to seven hours per day.
Ability to manually interpret conversation at 120–160 words per minute for up to 90 minutes at a time.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s degree from an accredited institution.
One year of experience interpreting for the deaf.

Responsibilities

Attend academic and vocational classes with hearing-impaired students and interpret instruction to facilitate classroom communication and participation.
Facilitate communication among hearing-impaired students, teachers of the hearing impaired, general education teachers, and hearing students.
Adapt classroom materials by signing or using visual materials.
Establish appropriate communication settings with classroom teachers, including seating, lighting, and acoustics.
Use and maintain specialized equipment for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, and instruct others in its use.
Provide voice-to-sign interpretation, converting spoken language into an appropriate signing mode at the student’s level of comprehension.
Interpret lectures, instructions, lab presentations, discussions, student responses, classroom comments, announcements, TV news, and videotapes.
Provide sign-to-voice interpretation, converting students’ manual signs, fingerspelling, gestures, and utterances into an accurate verbal English equivalent.
Record classroom assignments and ensure students know about assignments and have access to complete class notes.
Collect daily data about student behavior and classroom performance, provide it to the teacher of the hearing impaired, and serve as a liaison between classroom teachers and that teacher.
Assist and interpret for students during counseling and evaluation sessions, IEP conferences, disciplinary situations, assemblies, and school-related extracurricular activities.
Prepare for daily assignments by studying content areas and course outlines, reviewing printed materials and videotapes, making vocabulary notes, and reviewing upcoming assignments with classroom teachers.
Follow required policies and the Interpreter Code of Ethics regarding confidentiality of student information.
Attend teacher-conducted conferences and interpret or provide information to parents and school personnel about students’ academic and vocational functioning, under the direction of the teacher of the hearing impaired.
Participate in ongoing training to refine interpreting skills and update sign skills to reflect students’ varying sign cultures and evolving signs.
Perform Medicaid administrative claims reimbursable activities as directed in accordance with Chapter 3 of the federally approved School District Administrative Claiming (SDAC) Guide.