I do not speak English and my child goes to school in NYC. How can I get information in my language?

From The Legal Aid Society: If you do not speak English, you have rights to translation and interpretation so you can communicate with your child’s school. New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) must have services available in the nine most common languages, which include: Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Urdu. For other languages, telephone translations are available at a parent’s request. How to request language services A parent should first request language services from their child’s school. A parent can also call 718-935-2013 to make a request for language services. Interpretation over the phone is available in over 240 languages. What documents must NYCPS translate? General notices, including information about parent teacher conferences, handbooks, and school forms; Report cards, promotion in doubt letters; and All special education documents, including IEPs and evaluations. When is NYCPS required to provide interpretation? NYCPS must provide interpretation services so the parent can communicate with NYCPS personnel about their child’s education. This includes parent teacher conferences and IEP meetings. NYCPS’s Family Welcome Centers (enrollment offices) and school superintendent offices must provide interpretation for parents for all school related questions, and during enrollment/registration. How to report difficulties obtaining language services If a parent has difficulties accessing language services, they can file a complaint by calling 311 or contact the Office of Language Access at 718-935-2013.