Ask Texas Legislators to Vote “YES” for Dyslexia Bills in Texas House and Senate #VoteYes4Dyslexia    

Texas families of students with dyslexia are being denied access to their rights under federal education law, the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). Families of students with dyslexia and those who support them ask Texas legislators to vote YES on HB 3880 and SB 1694 because: 

• Texas law must stop predetermining that most students with dyslexia are served on 504 plans (which don’t provide federal education rights).  
• Texas law must give families access to comprehensive initial evaluations required by federal law so parents and schools have a complete picture when making decisions for children with dyslexia.
• Texas law must prohibit schools from continuing to offer only “standard” dyslexia instruction when federal education and disability law require interventions that meet individual educational needs. 
• Texas law must remove loopholes that schools use to deny students reading goals, progress monitoring, protections, and parent involvement that federal IDEA law guarantees.

Legislators vote based on what YOU, their constituents, want. Let them hear from you! New laws this Spring will change student experiences as soon as this Fall! (The Texas Legislature only meets every 2 years...kids need change before Fall 2023!)

How can you help?

2 “Must Do” steps

• Sign and share this petition to ask legislators for vote YES for dyslexia bills HB 3880 and SB 1694
• Go to the Texas Tribune Elected Official Directory to find who represents you in the Texas House and Texas Senate. Send them a quick, personal email that asks them to vote YES for dyslexia bills HB 3880 and SB 1694. You can send a quick comment or tell your story...just ask them to vote YES!
• Please also include the bill sponsors and public education chairs on your emails: harold.dutton@house.texas.gov, dan.huberty@house.texas.gov, ryan.guillen@house.texas.gov, steve.toth@house.texas.gov, will.metcalf@house.texas.gov, angela.paxton@senate.texas.gov, larry.taylor@senate.texas.gov

Want to do more?

• Help ensure the Texas Education Agency (TEA) stops violating the federal education rights of children by joining many other parents and advocates who are reaching out to the US Department of Education (Texas contact: Cheryl.Broady@ed.gov). A good start: “Please help students in Texas by requiring the Texas Education Agency to follow federal education law for students with dyslexia…” and why it matters to you.
• Texas has been under federal investigation related to denying educational rights to student with dyslexia and other disabilities since 2018. Ms. Broady's office is requesting communication directly from parents as they evaluate whether Texas is making progress or challenges are persisting.
• Share this petition on social media using our hashtag: #VoteYes4Dyslexia and #txlege (Texas Legislature).

“Copy / paste” is your friend...and remember the saying "Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good" if you are overwhelmed about what to share...just take 15 minutes to help bring change in an important moment!

*** IF THAT'S ENOUGH INFO FOR YOU, YOU'RE DONE!  ALSO, ANY DONATION GOES TO CHANGE.ORG, NOT OUR EFFORTS. ONLY KEEP READING IF YOU WANT FURTHER DETAILS. ***

The Big Picture

The federal government has been investigating Texas’ violations of federal education law (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA) for students with dyslexia since 2018. Parents and advocates have been working for years to bring change, and the current Texas dyslexia bills are a huge opportunity to do just that!

Legislators must act now to align Texas dyslexia services with federal education law (IDEA) so that students and their families have access to an comprehensive initial evaluation, which gives parents and the school a complete picture so they can work together to make the best decisions about whether a child is served by special education services or a 504 plan. (And, for those of a certain age, don’t fall for the outdated picture of special education as a “place” in the school. It’s an individualized service...learn more below)

Unfortunately, Texas law currently allows districts to use limited “dyslexia only” evaluations that basically predetermine students will be served by 504 plans. This is totally different from the process when any other disability is suspected...and is a huge miss, since 60-80% of students with dyslexia have co-occurring conditions (ADHD, dysgraphia, low working memory, etc). And, there are MANY more differences between an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and 504 Plan than most parents realize (learn more below).

All families should have the right to be part of the process of determining whether their child is served via 504 or special education services. The beginning of that process must be a Full Individual Evaluation (FIE) so that then the parents and school can work together to make an informed decision.

Texas must also end the mischaracterization of dyslexia intervention as “general education intervention,” given the reality that the intervention clearly fits the federal law’s definition of “specially designed instruction” provided via special education services. Students with dyslexia are the only students who are removed from the classroom for a disability-related intervention without the provisions and protections of federal education law. 

For the sake of each child, every Texas school should be playing by the same rules and providing students and families this choice. 

Do you know what’s ONLY available via an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) via IDEA (commonly referred to as special education services)...and NOT required via a 504 plan?

(For those of a certain age, don’t fall for the outdated picture of special education as a “place” in the school. Times have changed. It’s an individualized plan of services that is enforceable in any setting, including AP / honors classes! And, high school transcripts do not designate that a student was on a plan for their disabilities...and colleges cannot ask.)

Only available via an IEP through special education services:

• A free full and comprehensive evaluation of all of your child’s potential disabilities (vs. “dyslexia only” under 504)
• The right to a free private evaluation if you disagree with the school’s evaluation (called an Independent Educational Evaluation, or IEE)
• Decision-making team (ARD committee) includes parents and school personnel as equal participants in creating your child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
• Individualized dyslexia intervention that meets the unique needs of your child provided by a highly-trained educator, which can include your campus dyslexia therapist / CALT
• Goals specific to improving your child’s reading ability 
• Regular monitoring of your child’s progress toward goals as frequently as report cards are issued
• Adjustment of intervention if goals are not met
• Annual parent meeting required to review child’s present abilities, set new goals, assess progress, and determine intervention needs
• Interventions for identified needs (such as dyslexia) must begin immediately (vs waiting a semester or more for a “spot” to open in a dyslexia class on a 504 plan)
• Intervention continues until child meets their individual goals (vs. intervention ending simply because a child has completed a program)
• Executive functioning support
• In-class support teachers
• Occupational therapy for handwriting 
• Speech therapy
• Extended school year services for continued instruction during the summer
• Special protection in disciplinary matters
• Transition planning for college and/or career plans once your child is 14 years old or in 9th grade
• Compensatory education for services the school district has failed to provide
• The right several free means of assistance to aid in any dispute resolution with your school (Ex. TEA complaint with ruling in 60 days, mediation, an ARD facilitator, due process hearing)

Who is leading this petition?

The Kitchen Table parent group along with a statewide coalition of dyslexia parent groups. We are all parents of dyslexic students who have struggled with how our kids have been served (or not served) in Texas public schools for many years. We have tried to advocate for change in our districts, but Texas law allows the loopholes that districts use to deny special education services to students with dyslexia. This year the Kitchen Table parent group has spent hundreds of hours learning how to write a legislative proposal and then meeting with legislators, State Board of Education members, disability groups, dyslexia groups and more. We have found support for our proposal in all of our conversations.

Specifically, the dyslexia bills have the support of the following dyslexia parent groups:

• Conroe ISD Dyslexia Group
• Decoding Dyslexia Texas (statewide and local sub-chapters)
• Discovering Dyslexia (statewide and local sub-chapters)
• Dyslexia Smart (Laredo)
• Empower Dyslexia 
• Empowering Dyslexia for Spring Branch (Houston)
• Round Rock ISD Dyslexia Group
• The Dyslexia Initiative (statewide and local sub-chapters)

Want Even More Info?

Click here to read the Kitchen Table parent group’s full report on the importance of aligning Texas dyslexia services with IDEA.

Click on Bill links to see status of each bill: HB 3880, SB 1694 

Click here to read a recent letter from Texas dyslexia groups to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).