Office of Communications → Language Assistance Services Unit → Language Line

Language Line

If a parent calls an MCPS school or office or walks in and says “I speak [language],” staff can use these step-by-step directions for reaching a Language Line interpreter

1. Dial Toll Free 1-800-874-9426/1-866-874-3972, Local 1-831-648-7169.
2. When cued, dial in the MCPS Client ID. If you do not have this number, you can obtain it from your principal director, or administrative secretary.
3. When asked for your personal code, dial in your employee ID number plus the last two digits of your distribution location number. Omit any leading zeroes for the employee ID number.
4. Request the language you need.
5. Select an appropriate code to indicate the main reason for the telephone call.
6. If the parent is not already holding for this call, provide their phone number to the Language Line operator, who will connect you for an additional fee to MCPS.
7. If you are asked to do so, briefly explain the nature of the call to the interpreter.

Frequently Asked Questions about Language Line

Can parents use Language Line?

Because Language Line is a fee-for-use service, access is restricted to MCPS personnel. We hope staff will become familiar enough with this resource that any parent need only call or come in and say "I speak [Language]," and the staff member answering the phone will immediately call Language Line to obtain an interpreter.

I provided the last two digits of my location, but was told that they were wrong. What happened?

Because some employees have several locations from which they report their hours and each employee can have only one access code, the "Distribution Location" code from your e-paystub is used. This provides an objective source for your location which you can easily access on line if you need to do so. If you are told that your distribution location code is wrong, check your e-paystub. Even employees with a single work location may have a distribution location that is different because of the way their positions are funded.

Example:

Employee ID Number: 00000123            Distribution Location: 32239  
Language Line personal code: 12339

When is Language Line available?

Language Line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you need to call a parent from home in the evening or early morning, you can call from home. Your personal code will allow us to verify that the call was made by authorized personnel.

I am using my employee ID as part of my personal code. What about identity theft?

• Your personal code is dialed into a computer system. If you fail to dial a recognizable code three times, you will be asked to give your information to a human operator. Even then, as soon as the information matches a record and verifies that you are an authorized user, the information disappears from the operator's screen.
• The vice-president of Language Line has signed a nondisclosure agreement with MCPS.
• Language Line personnel are always dealing with confidential, secure information including information protected under various federal laws.
• If you do have to provide your employee id to the operator, you have no need to provide your name; Language Line does not receive information that links your personal code to your name. You need only give your name to the interpreter, not the operator, so that the interpreter can introduce you to the parent you are calling.