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June 7, 2001
Dr. Nancy Grasmick, State Superintendent of Schools
Maryland State Department of Education
200 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Dear Dr. Grasmick,
We would like to thank you for meeting with us on April 23rd to discuss the inherent problems in reading instruction in our public schools. It was very considerate of both you and Dr. Baglin to give us your valuable time in order to address these issue with us.
As you know our primary concern lies in the early identification and remediation of dyslexic students who have been sorely neglected in our schools. Our organization is working toward the following goals:
- Early identification and remediation of all dyslexic students beginning at the kindergarten level. This requires the proper education of all psychologists, special education teachers, reading specialists, and general education teachers. This would require complete and appropriate testing of all students identified to be at risk.
- The four reading courses mandated by the Maryland State Department of Education should explicitly state the content to be covered within each category. This would ensure that schools of education provide a depth of meaningful knowledge, including the structure of the English language, current brain research, and multi-sensory teaching techniques, within the required courses.
- The State needs to develop clear and explicit teacher certification exams that demonstrate mastery of the foundational skills needed to teach reading to all students.
- Special education teachers in particular need direct instruction on how to teach structured, systematic, sequential and multi-sensory phonemic and phonetic instruction to dyslexic children. More instruction in methods that do not work accomplishes nothing.
- Dyslexic children should not be forced to fall between special education and general education reading programs, neither of which is prepared to educate this type of learner. Proper remediation, not just accommodation, is needed for these students. The emphasis here should be on early remediation.
- Since the MSPAP is embedded with a great deal of "whole language" philosophy we would like to see it utilized only in the later years to measure understanding and global knowledge. In the early years (K-3), testing needs to be based on foundation skills. This shift of emphasis will help ensure that fewer children will be left behind. Appropriate testing provides knowledge for successful remediation. Omitting the scores of special education students from the MSPAP and other standardized tests' has skewed the results in such a way that the scores are deceiving.
- Remediation programs for dyslexics must extend to an encompass high school. Issues of comprehension, spelling, and written language must be continued throughout their education. Dyslexia is a life long neurological difference that requires appropriate services throughout a child's educational experience from kindergarten through 12th grade.
- The IDEA regulations supposedly ensure an appropriate education for all children. This is difficult to implement and provide in the current crisis. We therefore object to parents being baited into due process as their only alternative when objecting to and challenging the current educational practices. The state needs to step in and develop a new model to solve this inexcusable situation rather than bankrupting families. Since counties only cover a small portion of outside placement costs for the children requiring intensive language programs, why do the counties fight parents so hard when the State bears the burden of additional costs? Instead of counties spending millions of dollars to fight parents in the courts, we want to see the creation of non-litigious means for parents to express their concerns.
Given the level and severity of the current crisis in reading instruction, we see no other alternative but to lobby for standardized reading programs and material throughout the State. The needed reform must be rooted in the scientific evidence calling for systematic, structured, sequential, phonemic and phonetic instruction for all children. We believe, without the immediate leadership from the State Department of Education, as well as other policy legislators, millions of our children will be condemned to a life of illiteracy. By improving reading in the general education classroom fewer students will have to be tracked into "special education" thereby ensuring more resources for those in greater need.
We would like Maryland to be in a competitive position when applying for the upcoming Federal dollars by showing a willingness to improve the current practices. We would like to see the Maryland Language Arts Content Standards in full alignment with the results of the National Reading Panel Report 4/13/00. By reevaluating the current standards, Maryland will be implementing its full responsibility to educate all children regardless of their economic, social, or racial background.
We recognize that one of the most important solutions to the whole crisis lies in improved teacher education programs. Parents and professionals throughout the State are joining together in an attempt to create a model institute. With a multi-disciplinary focus, it will be designed to provide a scientifically based language education program within higher education.
We recognize that policies and laws created at one point in time can become unforeseen barriers and problems down the road. When we look at this situation collectively, there are numerous patterns that demonstrate the system is not working. We are taxpayers, comprised of parents, grandparents, educators, and administrators, and we are organizing so that our voices are heard throughout the State of Maryland to improve education for all children. The following counties have representation in PAGER as of this date: Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George, Saint Mary's and Washington. We want to be included in the processes and discussions that affect our children and their future. Do not hesitate to call on us for your support.
Yours truly,
Teresa Ankney Jean Kraynick Eileen Mummaugh
CC: Dr Carol Ann Baglin
Assistant State Superintendent
Special Education Early Intervention Services
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