Action Alert: Dyslexia Legislation Support Needed

This call to action is from Decoding Dyslexia Virginia (DDVA). Everyone’s support is needed.

If you reside outside of Virginia, please contact the Decoding Dyslexia chapter in your state to learn about—and support—their advocacy efforts.

SUPPORT HB1865

There is still time to send your emails to your Senator and the Senate Health and Education Committee asking them for their support of Delegate Karrie Delaney’s HB1865. The bill is headed to the Senate Health and Education Public School Subcommittee tomorrow, February 11, 30 minutes after adjournment of the session that begins at 12pm. (So the public school subcommittee could meet as early as 1:30pm)

Summary of HB1865 AS PASSED HOUSE:

Certain students in kindergarten through grade 3; reading intervention services. Requires reading intervention services for students in kindergarten through grade three who demonstrate deficiencies based on their individual performance on the Standards of Learning reading test or any reading diagnostic test that meets criteria established by the Department of Education to be evidence-based, including services that are grounded in the science of reading, and include explicit, systematic, sequential, and cumulative instruction, to include phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, fluency, vocabulary development, and text comprehension as appropriate based on the student’s demonstrated reading deficiencies. The bill requires the parent of each student who receives such reading intervention services to be notified before the services begin and the progress of each such student to be monitored throughout the provision of services.

Contact Your Senate and House Representatives

Call and/or email your delegate and your senator to let them know that dyslexia is important to your family and you would like them to co-sponsor our bills and vote YEA when the time comes’. Attach a copy of the DDVA Mission Statement and your family’s story (if you have it summarized).

Click Here to Find your Representative

Sample Legislator Letter

​Add any personal information you’d like to the following samples and consider attaching your written story to the email/letter.

If your child is among the children who have been overlooked by school divisions, consider adding:

My [son or daughter] has Dyslexia and [school district’s name]’s didn’t identify him before third grade. [School district’s name]’s early intervention wasn’t based on the science of reading. This bill will help to ensure more kids learn to read, rather than being overlooked.

Phone call:  

“Hello, this is XXXX, I live in Senator/Delegate XXXX’s district. I am calling today because I support Dyslexia bills [include the bill number if you have it)]. Dyslexia is an important issue and impacts my family, this bill will help support both teachers and students with dyslexia in VA.  I would like to ask for your office to support this bill by cosponsoring it.  Thank you for your time and service.”

Letter/email: 

Dear Senator/Delegate XXXXX,

I am reaching out today because I support Dyslexia bills [include the bill number if you have it].  Dyslexia is an important issue and impacts my family, this bill will help support both teachers and students with dyslexia in VA. I would like to ask for your office to support this bill by cosponsoring it.  Thank you for your time and service.

Sincerely,

xxxxxxx
123 Any St
Anytown, VA 12345

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