July 6, 2015
Dear Senator Hatch & Senator Lee,
The following parents, members of Decoding Dyslexia Utah, tell their stories below and
encourage your strong voice of support during debate on the 2015 ESEA Reauthorization. We
believe their stories match the allowable use for Title II funds requested in the Cassidy
Amendments. On behalf of the 200 parents who are part of Decoding Dyslexia Utah and the
90,000 to 120,000 students with Dyslexia who are in Utah’s public schools we thank you for all
you do for our kids.
Cassidy Title II, Amendment #1 - use funds to train teachers.
When you first see your bright, happy child struggle in school and come home in tears as a
parent you need help and answer. I first went to my son’s teacher and ask if he could be
Dyslexic. She told me, “I don’t think so, but I honestly don’t know anything about Dyslexia.”
This teacher was a veteran, 30 year teacher with a Reading Endorsement who was amazing and
she didn’t have the knowledge to help me or my son. Our next teacher (2nd grade) was a first
year teacher right out of college, I was hopeful that she would have more current information
about Dyslexia. Once again I was disappointed. She had received little to no training about
Dyslexia or how to help the 15-20% of students in her class who are students with Dyslexia. I
had to go outside the public school system to confirm that my son was Dyslexic and to get him
the help he needed. We are fortunate that I am a stay at home mom who can drive my son an
hour each way to a qualified tutor. We are also fortunate that we could find the money to pay
for this private instruction. I am grateful that all my son’s teachers have worked with us and
accommodated his needs in the classroom. My son represents the 2/3 of students with Dyslexia
who never qualify for special education services under IDEA. Because we don’t qualify for
IDEA, it is our general education teachers who hold the key for our success. They desperately
need training on the warning signs of Dyslexia and how to teach students with Dyslexia in their
classrooms. The needs of students with Dyslexia will never be fully met by IDEA, simply
because 2/3 of students with Dyslexia never qualify. It is even more disturbing to know those
who do qualify for IDEA most commonly do so after 3rd grade. By then the reading gap is so
large, most of them will never read on grade level. My son put it best when he said, “Once we
found out I was Dyslexic I got a tutor to help me. I think all kids should get help right when we
need it and not have to wait!” - Karee and Craig Atkinson
Cassidy Title II, Amendment #1 - Students to receive resources and support
When my sons started a new, academically challenging private school, I was worried about
Grant's ability to keep up. Grant's first few weeks in Language Arts were a struggle for him. I
had talked with Ms. Pimentel about his situation and she immediately worked out some
solutions. For example, instead of giving him the traditional spelling test, she made up multiple
choice spelling exams for him. She was always amazing at allowing extra time if he needed it. If
he did poorly on a test, she would pull him aside and quiz him orally and talk it through with
him. For his home reading, she allowed him to read the books he wanted to read, knowing that it
was just important that he was reading. She never penalized him for his poor spelling or
handwriting and allowed him to use his dictation software to write his essays. Grant thrived in
her class and actually looked forward to Language Arts. - Alison Memmott
Cassidy Title V Amendment #1 Exemption from weighted lottery for schools specializing in
LD
My daughter Kaylee is a student with Dyslexia in the 5th grade. We have had a very difficult
time getting her the individualize instruction and technology she needs to succeed in school.
After many IEP meetings and endless calls to our local school district my daughter received the
assistive technology she needed. My daughter was doing homework today for first time using
Ipad for math story problems and English. She totally gets it. It took her 10 minutes on an
English paper that would have taken an hour without the Ipad. It's the first time she has been
independent in public school and home school and she is thrilled. Unfortunately, Kaylee still
wasn’t getting the structured literacy based reading interventions she needed, so I moved her to a
private school where she could get the instruction she needs and access to assistive technology.
- Janice Hernandez
Thank you again for your support and please speak for those who need a voice. Dyslexia doesn’t
fit the “model” of disabilities IDEA was designed to address. Our children have a hidden
disability that needs to be identified and remediated as early as possible so they don’t fall
impossibly behind in school. Therefore, general education and special education need to work
together. It will take a whole school to “raise” and educate our children. Please allow Title II
funding to be used for Dyslexia so the whole school can do its job and our kids will learn to read.
Decoding Dyslexia Utah Board