Jeffco Public Schools (Jeffco) is located in Jefferson County, Colorado. It is the second largest school district in Colorado serving 69,000 students across 155 schools. With 14,000 employees, the district is the largest employer in Jefferson County and has provided educational excellence for more than 70 years.

Jeffco embraces the spirit of the West and the natural beauty of the Rocky Mountain region with the county spanning more than 770 square miles running the length of the western edge of the Denver metropolitan area. The district is diverse in both population and geography, from urban to rural, including the mountain communities in the foothills west of Denver.

Overall, Jeffco has 31% of students that qualify for free and reduced lunch, an indicator of poverty, and 34% minority (25% Hispanic) student population. The district is implementing a new strategic plan, Jeffco Thrives 2025 that is focused on providing a world-class education that prepares all Jeffco students for bright and successful futures as local and global citizens. Come join us!

Jeffco Public Schools is a Single-State Employer. All candidates hired by Jeffco Public Schools must reside within the state of Colorado.

Originally established in 1896, Wheat Ridge is a comprehensive school that has served as the hub of the community for generations. Community members take pride in their school and in maintaining a small town feel in the large Denver metro area. WRHS values academic rigor and high performance expectations for all students. We enthusiastically engage our freshmen in the transition process to promote a positive and successful high school experience and work with our upperclassmen to prepare them for a successful future, whether it is higher education or the work force. We value an inclusive educational environment that emphasizes integrity, respect, and responsibility.

Educational Interpreter
Annual Position
FLSA: Nonexempt
FTE: .81250 , Hours/Day: 6.500 , Days/Year: 178
Salary Plan, Grade, Step: CSEA - Para-Educator -8 hrs , F65, 1
Hourly Rate: $25.48, Annual Rate: $36,283.00 Effective as of: 08-16-2022

**Annual salary noted above is based on an 8 hour day and full days worked calendar. Any position that is less than a full FTE/8 hours per day or late start will be prorated accordingly.

Certain Education Support Professional (ESP) jobs may include the value of holiday pay into the hourly rate. Review the Holiday in Rate column of the Education Support Professional Job Title, Wage Plan, Grade document.

The successful new hire or rehired candidate will be responsible to complete and incur the fingerprinting and processing fee of $54.50 through an appropriate fingerprinting vendor and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, within 48 hours of offer acceptance.

SUMMARY: Position is to facilitate communication in the language most readily understood (i.e. American Sign Language, manually coded English, contact variety, signed Exact English, cued speech, or oral) for student(s), parent(s), etc. To provide interpreting services as stipulated in the students Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:

Facilitate communication between special educators, general educators, and others to successfully integrate deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the regular classroom.

Analyze communication and the interpreting process to produce a linguistically appropriate representation of classroom communication for each student?s ability and goals.

Demonstrate knowledge about deafness in the education process.

Demonstrate knowledge about meeting the needs of the students.

Demonstrate and apply knowledge of instructional strategies/techniques relevant to tutoring of elementary and secondary students regarding general education classes.

Interpret after school activities, meetings, parent-teacher conferences, etc. as directed.

Accept reassignment to other schools and programs as determined by student needs.

Attend district-provided trainings and professional development as directed.

Perform other duties as assigned.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING: High School Diploma/GED required, plus applicable course work from a recognized vocational, community college or university equivalent to three (3) years and/or an Associated Degree/advanced specialized knowledge/skills related to this position

EXPERIENCE: Up to two (2) years of experience working with and interpreting for deaf/hard of hearing students. Completion of either an interpreter training or preparation program is preferable.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, & EQUIPMENT: Position requires employee to be proficient in sign language to facilitate communication and successfully integrate deaf and hard of hearing students in the classroom. Must be knowledgeable of curriculum, teaching and tutoring methods. Must have an Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment with a score of 3.8 or higher or an EIPA/per-hire sign language screening with a passing score prior to hire.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, & REGISTRATIONS: Valid Colorado Department of Education Educational Interpreter Authorization or applicant has met the minimum skill requirements for a CDE Temporary Authorization - Educational Interpreter.

SUPERVISION/TECHNICAL RESPONSIBILITY: This job has no staff supervisory responsibilities. Position serves as a communication avenue for students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, demonstrates techniques and modifications that educators might use in creating a positive and effective learning environment. Demonstrates knowledge of personal and classroom amplification systems and conducts basic trouble shooting regarding hearing aids, cochlear implants and FM problems.

CONTACTS: Daily contact with students and with persons in the same building regarding routine internal matters. Contact with parents and persons in other buildings or departments to provide or obtain information.

SAFETY TO SELF AND OTHERS: Medium to high exposure to self from repetitive motion when signing. Potential exposure to bruises, bites, cuts, spitting, kicking, hitting and scratches. Gloves are provided to prevent exposure to bodily fluids.

The physical requirements, work environment factors, and mental functions described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, see and hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and peripheral vision. The employee is required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, or crouch. The employee is not required to lift or move items.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is moderate to loud.

MENTAL FUNCTIONS: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate, instruct, and use interpersonal skills. The employee is frequently required to compare, analyze, copy, coordinate, compute, synthesize, evaluate, compile, and negotiate.

JUDGMENT AND DECISION-MAKING: Work is assigned by administration/teacher based on the student?s needs. The type of decision making relates to helping a student gain self-advocacy skills and deciding language equivalencies. The decision making process is guided by the Guidelines of Professional Conduct for Educational Interpreters and Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf Code of Ethics, district policies, school procedures, and professional judgment. Typically decision making involves the collaboration of the deaf and hard-of-hearing teacher and the classroom teacher. An error in decision making could cause the student to be enabled instead of empowered; improper signing could cause miscommunications ultimately causing the failure to understand new concepts or instructions. Supervisor is only involved in making major decisions. Confidentiality is paramount.

DIVERSITY OF DUTIES: Duties require knowledge and cross-training in the areas of signing, classroom instruction and the knowledge of the classroom goals prior to student's introduction to the material. Advanced preparation time needed in areas of interpreter responsibility. This position crosses over several departments on a daily basis.

Jeffco Salary Schedules

Jeffco Benefits

The Jefferson County School District does not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, pregnancy, or gender.