We Did It! Historic Legislation for Dyslexic Students Passes in Texas!
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Historic Legislation for Texas Dyslexics
Will Become Law!
The Dream of Universal Screening and Funded Support for All Dyslexics is Here!
Texas: WE DID IT! We HAVE MADE HISTORY in Texas schools’ dyslexia crisis . On Thursday May 23, 2019, Governor Abbott, Lt. Governor Patrick, and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen announced that an agreement has been reached on the session’s priority bills, including HB 3, the school finance reform.
As of the time of the press conference, the bill is in document production, and not yet available; however, the leadership did provide a basic outline of the key reforms:
HB 3 will provide $11.6 billion in additional funding for public education. Of that, $4.5 billion will fund “transformational education reforms,” including a general increase in per student funding, raising the basic allotment and targeting specific funding to attack 3rd grade reading proficiency AND DYSLEXIA.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? HB 3 guarantees that:
- Every school with an identified dyslexic who is receiving evidence based reading intervention services will get the money they need to pay for those services. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.
- The money will be attached to the specific dyslexic student. The school will only get it if they are providing the appropriate services. And the money can’t be used for anything else. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.
- TEA will be required to audit and monitor every school system’s mandatory screening of every single Texas student for dyslexia by the end of the first grade. TEA must also identify any problems districts are having with these screenings and create a remedial plan to resolve those problems. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!
The statutory language we worked so hard to help craft is air tight and now set in stone. Thanks to Impact Dyslexia’s grassroots advocacy work, there will never again be a dyslexic student in Texas who goes unidentified and without the intervention they need to read.
But there is still critical work to be done on the specifics of implementation through TEA, so stay tuned for engagement opportunities there. It’s is JUST as important as getting the bill passed to implement it correctly.
Impact Dyslexia can’t do this bold, impactful work without the support of people like you in the dyslexia community.
PLEASE MAKE A DONATION to ensure we are able to continue delivering results with this level of success once HB 3 moves into the implementation phase at TEA this fall.
In honor of this historic event of passing HB 3, consider a monthly donation with the number 3 — like $33 or $333 — in the amount of your donation!
Donate here.
THANK YOU to everyone who called, emailed or visited their legislator this session. They heard us. And they listened. We cannot say enough to thank Chairman Dan Huberty, Chairman Sen. Larry Taylor and Speaker Dennis Bonnen for their leadership and personal commitment on this issue. #TheTimeIsNow
Please contact your state Senators and representatives ONE MORE TIME to say thank you!
And help us spread the word of this historic Texas victory in the dyslexia crisis on all your social networks!
Impact Dyslexia: Breaking news, Texas. WE DID IT! WE HAVE MADE HISTORY in Texas schools’ dyslexia crisis. HB 3 will become law and requires universal dyslexia screening by 1st grade and funding to pay for appropriate services on a per student basis, and the money can’t be used for anything else!
Thank You Shannon Meroney!
This is such an awe inspiring outcome to big, bold goals from the amazing leadership and incredible hard work of Shannon Meroney, co-founder and volunteer board member of Impact Dyslexia!
Every dyslexic, and parent of a dyslexic, in Texas owes Shannon an immense debt of gratitude! Her unwavering efforts will enable the gift of dyslexia, and avert untold damage, for all dyslexics from 2019 forward!
