The Independent Board of Education Policy in New York has overwhelmingly approved a historic decision: starting this fall, the Albanian language will officially be one of the 12 languages ??into which official notices are translated in the city's public schools.
This decision follows a vote held on June 19, 2025 by the Panel for Educational Policy, following a review of growing demands for more equitable access and inclusion for families from different linguistic communities. In addition to Albanian, the inclusion of Uzbek and Ukrainian languages ??is also part of the plan.
Prior to this step, schools in New York translated important documents and communications into 9 languages, including: Spanish, Chinese, Bengali, Russian, Urdu, Arabic, Haitian Creole, Korean, French, and now Albanian.
The deputy for language policy at the Department of Education, Christina Meléndez, emphasized that:
"Every parent deserves a significant involvement in their child's education, regardless of the language they speak."
In New York, where over 150 languages ??are spoken in students' families, this decision is of great importance in ensuring transparency and clarity in informing families on issues such as registration, applications, assessments, disciplinary problems, or special education services.
The decision to include Albanian aims to ensure that communication between school and family no longer relies solely on student translators. The decision also stipulates that translations will not rely on automated applications, but on certified human translators.
This step is considered a major victory for the Albanian community in New York, which numbers about 100,000 people, mainly concentrated in the Bronx. For the first time, official documents will be directly accessible to Albanian-speaking families.
Source: NYC.gov
