Building A Dyslexia Parent Group
Course 5 - Engage Your District
“In some schools they just ignore it because if they label it they have to rush it with resources. If the school refuses to identify the child the family has these hard decisions. They have a decision to pull the child out and get them outside help and that’s what families with resources do. And if the family doesn’t have resources or the awareness they just accept the fact that their child is a poor student. They’re just tracked to be low potential.”
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
Strategies for interfacing with your school district
School board’s critical role in a district
Process for communicating concern with your school district
Laying groundwork for potential outcomes
Benefits of media relationships
When You Know Better, You Do Better
This is a critical stage because you hope the district will be open to the Science of Reading and the law that protects your children with dyslexia. Initially, you need to assume that they will be receptive. At the same time, form your Action Committee and continue to prepare in case you are forced to take legal action. One concept discussed in Emily Hanford’s podcasts is the idea that ‘when you know better, you do better’. Teachers may never have been taught about dyslexia and they will go through a certain amount of grief when they realize that they may have been harming children for years. This will be a very powerful revelation, and for some teachers it may be too much. But for others it will be a gift and transform the way they teach reading. Andrea Rowson (a reading expert in Ohio) talked about the frustration of not knowing how to help all kids until she learned SoR. Now she feels confident telling her students and parents that she can help each child learn to read. This is a win/win for our children and our teachers.
Featured Guest Speakers:
Kareem Weaver, Brenda Louisin, Kerry Agins, and Brett Tingley.