***PLEASE NOTE: This petition was originally launched in the spring of 2024 by a group of concerned Council Rock parents. While it quickly gained a number of signatures, the creators chose not to present it to the school board at the time. There was cautious optimism that progress was underway being the administration had agreed to form a Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC), and new administrators were brought in to address some of the systemic issues outlined below.

Unfortunately, the developments over the past year have not lived up to expectations. SEPAC meetings, which should serve as a collaborative forum between parents and school staff, have instead become one-sided information sessions. A new Special Education Curriculum Director was hired despite having limited experience in special education. To date, no clear or measurable improvements have been communicated under her leadership. Additionally, two positions for "Teachers on Special Assignment" were created and have been renewed for the upcoming school year. This comes at a salary cost of approximately $130,000 per position, yet no data has been shared to demonstrate what impact, if any, these roles have had on student outcomes.

Now, with nearly a full year passed and little to no systemic change observed, we are re-releasing this petition. It will be presented to the school board before the end of the current school year.

We, the members of the Council Rock School District community, are deeply concerned about the challenges many parents and children are facing in accessing appropriate and effective reading instruction. The academic and emotional toll this has taken on our children cannot be understated. As parents have recently raised questions and delved into the issue, it has become clear that there are significant systematic literacy issues within our district. Therefore, we are calling for a comprehensive literacy audit to be conducted by unbiased third-party experts. We believe that Schools Cubed is a potential candidate to perform this crucial task. Our objective is to gain a clear and unbiased understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement within our current systems, curriculum, and programs. This knowledge is vital for making educated decisions that directly impact our children's education.

By conducting this audit, we can ensure that every teacher has access to the quality professional development they need to support students, that every school board member and administrator has access to the information they need to make informed decisions, and that every student has access to a quality education and the necessary resources for their success. We urge all stakeholders to support this initiative as it will contribute significantly towards improving our school's educational standards. Please sign this petition if you live in the Council Rock School District and believe in transparency and continuous improvement in our educational system. (No need to donate money.  That goes to the app, not us. Your signature is greatly appreciated!)

Why an audit and why now?

The current state of literacy education in Council Rock is deeply concerning. With no cohesive literacy plan in place, decisions, training, and investments are short-sighted and lack a common goal. District Administration's idea of creating a literacy plan, with principals and administrators taking the lead, is inadequate. The lack of literacy expertise among decision-makers is worrisome, especially given the complexity of the task. Our children cannot afford to wait for years while the adults figure this out. They need a comprehensive plan and immediate action. We urge the district to conduct a thorough literacy audit by external experts to expedite the evaluation process, provide quality professional development for staff, and execute an effective plan.

We are aware that the district recently adopted a new ELA curriculum. While it's understandable that there may be initial challenges with new programs and adjustments, we must acknowledge that we are lagging behind other districts in this critical aspect. The implementation of these programs lacks a well-orchestrated plan, and the resulting improvements are far from sufficient. We cannot afford to simply hope for gradual progress over the years, especially when considering the substantial gap between our current status and the desired goal. In a healthy educational system, only 15-20% of students would perform below the benchmark for proficiency. Yet, our current district-wide universal screening results paint a different picture. Moreover, the proficiency rate at Maureen M. Welch, specifically, is noticeably lower when compared to other schools in the district. Look at MMW's beginning of the year and middle of the year DIBELS scores from the 2024-2025 school year here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/148t_KIaknQMmIols5WQDVTEsBvfigYQj/view?usp=sharing

The proficiency rates of Maureen M. Welch students on the latest PSSA scores shared by the state are also dismal. See a summary of those rates here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cskqTiMBbtajAIJjr0-jO95ckNg2YQx7rM-hjjIFRic/edit?gid=0#gid=0 

The full spreadsheet of all scores can be found here: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/education/data-and-reporting/assessment-reporting.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ_2xRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF2UDY1dzVKNmt5V1lRS3dLAR5wZOpsiVGa8ebCMHCh61OptA6FZt1WobtVge1bJvVwT5hHYm-Culrmi9TLWw_aem_uxjafJ_X8C-IzUkoHDjdww#accordion-b3281f6147-item-d45f02c1d2 

Even more alarming, however, is the proficiency rate of students with IEPs compared to their regular education peers. Why are the students at Welch who are receiving the highest level of support and intervention still not able to meet state proficiency targets?

It's evident that immediate action is needed to address these disparities and ensure that every student in the district receives the support they need to succeed. We urge all stakeholders to review the testing results and join us in advocating for concrete steps towards improvement. 

To learn more about the reading crisis in American (including Council Rock) review the following:

The Truth About Reading Documentary: https://youtu.be/UWl7RllkQrg?si=PDlGdw97to7mMQxR

Sold a Story Podcast: https://features.apmreports.org/sold-a-story/