Urgent CALL TO ACTION! There is a new rule being voted on during the September Georgia Board of Education meeting that will impact the timeline for dyslexia screening and implementing intervention plans! We have the opportunity now until September 22 to weigh in with public comments, which can be sent via email.
Here is a sample email that explains why Decoding Dyslexia Georgia is very concerned about the timelines set forth in the new rule. Please feel free to use it as a template to send your own public comments. Please include personal stories of how delays to receiving intervention are so harmful for our children. Please EMAIL THE BOARD WITH YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT no later than September 22nd, and the sooner the better: policy@doe.k12.ga.us
Your voice is critical. Let the Board know that a "30-school-day" delay is simply too long for our children to wait for the support they need to become successful readers.
Dear State Board of Education members and Superintendent Woods,
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed 30-school-day time period that schools will be given to implement reading interventions outlined in NEW RULE 160-4-2-.40 [Section (2)B, 2], Page 3-4 of the new rule under "Reading Interventions." As a concerned parent, I believe this delay is unacceptable and fails to prioritize the academic and emotional well-being of our students.
The rule states that a tiered reading support plan must be implemented "no later than 30 school days after such determination has been made." This means that after a student is identified with a reading weakness, they may have to wait up to six weeks to begin receiving the help they desperately need. This is a waste of precious time that can never be recovered.
Districts already have a six-week window at the start of the school year to complete universal reading screenings, which is also way more time than necessary. If you add another 30 school days for starting intervention, a student could go nearly three months—12 full weeks—into the school year before they receive any intervention. This delay is inexcusable.
Early intervention is vital for a student's success. We know that schools are capable of acting more quickly. For example, Marietta City Schools sets an example of best practice by administering all screening AND having targeted intervention plans in place in the first 3 weeks of the school year. All students in Georgia deserve a system that is equally responsive.
I urge you to reconsider this rule and mandate a much shorter timeline for intervention.
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Please EMAIL THE BOARD WITH YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT no later than September 22nd: policy@doe.k12.ga.us
Your voice is critical. Let the Board know that a 30-school-day delay is simply too long for our children to wait for the intervental support they need to become successful readers.
Please help us spread the word. Share with family and friends and ask them to email public comments on behalf of all children in Georgia who deserve the opportunity to become fully proficient readers!
THANK YOU!