The California School Boards Association has recognized the Orange County Department of Education’s Language Services unit with the Golden Bell Award, which honors school programs that go above and beyond to ensure student success.
In recent years, OCDE has significantly revamped its language services under the direction of Program Specialist Natalia Abarca and Director of Student Achievement and Success Stacy Deeble-Reynolds. The team is dedicated to promoting language access to students and parents across the county by providing interpreting and translation services, as well as various multicultural training for educators.
“We are thrilled to be a recipient of the prestigious CSBA Golden Bell Award,” Deeble-Reynolds said. “Through our networks and professional development offerings, including our annual Interpreters and Translators Conference, our team has consistently enhanced the skills of bilingual staff, ensuring they are equipped to serve students, families and communities with excellence. This award highlights our commitment to fostering inclusive, multilingual environments for all.”
The association specifically highlighted the professional learning opportunities developed by OCDE, such as the Multilingual Consortium, workshops for interpreters and translators, and the annual Interpreters and Translators Conference. These services are designed to provide a network of support and facilitate communication and networking among translators and interpreters across the county.
Additionally, Abarca and Language Services have worked to standardize translation and interpretation practices, specifically within school-based settings. In January, Abarca aided in reviewing and providing feedback on a national code of ethics drafted by the American Association of Interpreters and Translators in Education.
“Our goal has always been to professionalize practices and ensure language access for our community of teachers, parents, and students,” Abarca said. “Language access means equity; it means inclusion; it means breaking down barriers. This award exemplifies our unwavering commitment to these principles and highlights the support provided to bilingual classified staff nationwide.”
Orange County Superintendent Dr. Stefan Bean reflected on the significance of the division’s efforts.
“As a former English language learner myself, I am incredibly proud of our Language Services team for receiving this prestigious award,” he said. “This honor speaks volumes about our ongoing commitment to ensure language access for students and parents by equipping educators and providing support to school communities and families. We will continue to strive to place English language learners on equal footing and provide the resources necessary for inclusive classrooms.”
Now in its 45th year, the CSBA Golden Bell Awards seeks to highlight the exemplary work of school districts throughout the state in hopes of sharing information about the most effective educational strategies.
Winners from all 21 categories will be recognized at the Golden Bell Awards Reception and Ceremony, which will take place in Anaheim on Dec. 5.