The Dyslexia School in Downtown Acworth
Senate Bill 386 passed! Please take a moment to thank the senators who voted to support this legislation! Click HERE to find your senator.
You can read the full bill HERE.
Thanks to all of you who reached out to your senators! 🙂
From Steven Quinn, Special Education Advocate and Advocate for SB 386:
What a day at the capitol! The senate could vote as early as tomorrow on the bill. Thank you to everyone that has advocated so far. We need calls and emails from all corners of the state. There is still time to do so.
Here’s a quick email to send: https://p2a.co/f8IDMZm. If you can please share on your pages.
This bill would do the following to improve the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (SB10):
This would ensure the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship reaches more eligible students by raising awareness for families, cutting red tape, and lowering barriers that frustrate efforts to enroll.
Ms. Noelle went to the capitol to tell her story about her daughter, Charlotte, to the Senate Education & Youth Committee. You can read her story HERE.
Many of our families at Brookwood Christian rely on this scholarship to ensure their child receives the services they need, as dyslexia, and many other language processing concerns, are not adequately addressed, if at all, in public school.
SB 386 passed the Senate Education & Youth Committee 6-4 and now awaits scheduling for a vote by the full Senate.
Ms. Noelle spoke before the committee last week and you can read her story HERE.
Many of our families at Brookwood Christian rely on the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship to ensure their child receives the services they need, as dyslexia, and many other language processing concerns, are not adequately addressed, if at all, in public school. Several other families need this scholarship but because they could not wait an extra year to address their child’s needs, they are ineligible. Passage of this bill may allow them to receive the scholarship. You can read more about it HERE.
Please CONTACT YOUR SENATOR and ask them to support SB 386 so that all Georgia students with special needs have access to a school where they can thrive, and tell them your story if it applies!
You can read Mellie’s Story in our 2018-2019 Annual Report, and Blake’s Story in our 2017-2018 Annual Report, both are compelling, and the statistics for students who do not get appropriate reading instruction are grim, and outlined in the Progress Reports in both stories. You can also see the statistics regarding the success of our programs HERE.
Get to Know Families Impacted by Georgia’s Special Needs Scholarship.
If you have any questions, feel free to email Ms. Kim for clarification.
Read about other legislation that may impact our school HERE.
On Wednesday, February 26, the day after Dyslexia Day at the Capitol, Ms. Noelle spoke before the Senate Education & Youth Committee regarding Senate Bill 386 and its possible impact on the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (SB10). Her story, along with so many others, is so compelling that we wanted to share it. Below is her speech. If you would like your story featured, please EMAIL it, along with a picture.
“Thank you for taking the time to listen to me and my story.
“Let me introduce myself. I am Noelle Smith. I have a BA in Architectural Studies and a Master of Library and Information Science degree. I am a divorced mother of 3 young women, and we live in Acworth. My oldest daughter, Cheyenne, is studying to be a commercial pilot and graduated in 2011 from Harrison High School in Cobb County. My middle child, Charlotte, is a senior at Kennesaw State University and is studying Electrical Engineering and Mechatronics. She graduated in 2015 as valedictorian from Brookwood Christian School in Cobb County. My youngest, Collette, is a junior studying Neuroscience/pre-med at the Georgia Institute of Technology and graduated in 2018 as 4th in her class from Harrison High School. We were a military family for 22 years and stayed in Georgia after my ex retired from the Marine Corps.
“My daughter Charlotte and all the other children with learning disabilities are who I am here to represent today. Let me tell you Charlotte’s story. We had known since she was 5 that there was something going on with her ability to learn letters. They just did not make sense to her. I tried to have her tested at the schools we were at; however, this was immediately after 9/11 so we were transferred to Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana in quick succession. Charlotte received her first IEP in 2004 and a diagnosis of dyslexia.
“In 2006, we moved to Atlanta. Charlotte was in 4th grade. I immediately began the process of having a new IEP issued. At this point, she attended Vaughan Elementary in Powder Springs. She loved school but struggled because she was different and could not read more than simple words at this point. I knew unless she received intensive, one-on-one specialized instruction, she was going to be lost in the public school system and maybe never be able to read. I began to look for a school that specialized in helping students with learning disabilities. I found Brookwood Christian School in Acworth.
“Luckily, Charlotte had an IEP in place and the state of Georgia had just begun the SB10 program. This scholarship enabled me to place my child in a small school with specialized instruction and small classroom sizes. Best of all, all the students had a learning disability of some kind, so everyone was on a level playing field. She thrived.
“When Charlotte was in the 9th grade, my husband and I divorced. He was unwilling to help with her private education, so the SB10 scholarship literally saved my child. I am a teacher and my income was not enough to keep her in a private school. She was able to stay at Brookwood Christian School only because of the SB10 Scholarship. I knew fighting to keep her at Brookwood was worth all the hardships when she began reading books for pleasure. Now she is excelling at Kennesaw State University and has a 3.52 GPA.
“I fell into teaching because my child needed me, and as a teacher of students with learning disabilities, I have seen how the SB10 has changed lives. There are many success stories to hear. There could be many more. I have seen students that want to attend Brookwood Christian be unable to because their families were unable to pay the tuition. Many of these students had a 504. Many returned to the public school system in an attempt to obtain an IEP. Some were successful at gaining an IEP and were able to enter Brookwood Christian. I have seen several who were unable to obtain an IEP. I remember one such student who dropped out of school. I fear for him. He has fallen between the cracks.
“I ask that you please expand this program to include all children with disabilities; be a part of the success stories.~Noelle Pearson
“I appreciate your time. Thank you.”
And THANK YOU Ms. Noelle, for taking the time to advocate for our students and other special needs students!
You can also read Mellie’s Story in our 2018-2019 Annual Report, and Blake’s Story in our 2017-2018 Annual Report, both are compelling, and the statistics for students who do not get appropriate reading instruction are grim, and outlined in the Progress Reports in both stories. You can also see the statistics regarding the success of our programs HERE.
Get to Know Families Impacted by Georgia’s Special Needs Scholarship.
#SayDyslexia #UntilEveryoneCanRead #1in5
Yesterday, Ms. Kim & Ms. Tammy went to the capitol for Dyslexia Day 2020 and this year they took two students, Will & Krissy. Both students were able to see how the legislative process works, as well as interact with advocates and lobbyists for dyslexia and other special needs students.
In addition to speaking with the leaders at other dyslexia schools, we spoke with other advocates for dyslexia including groups such as Decoding Dyslexia-Georgia and International Dyslexia Association-Georgia Chapter, and Meredith Pope, Mrs. Georgia US Continental, who volunteered her time to read to our students on Dr. Seuss Day last year.
We were also able to speak to Representative Ed Setzler (House District 35) and Senator Lindsey Tippens (Senate District 37), both of whom represent the school’s district and are very supportive of our mission. Senator Tippens is Will’s grandfather! 🙂
There are currently 2 new bills being introduced this legislative term, as well as the possibility of reconsideration of one that did not pass last term. They are briefly summarized here and you can link to our more detailed posts about each of them.
Senate Bill 386 will make it easier to get the Georgia Special needs Scholarship, as well as open up possibility of appeals and more access for those already receiving it or who have been denied a medical waiver.
House Bill 939 will amend HB 217, which raised the cap on the Georgia Tax Credit Scholarship from $58 million, to $100 million. HB 217 has the cap reverting back to $58 million and HB 939 would eliminate that.
Senate Bill 173 is up for reconsideration during this legislative session and would allow parents to use funds earmarked for public education to pay for qualified education expenses, including private school tuition.
Please CONTACT YOUR SENATOR and REPRESENTATIVE and ask them to support these bills so that our families have the financial assistance they need so their children can go to school where they can thrive AND LEARN! Tell them your story if it applies!
You can read Mellie’s Story in our 2018-2019 Annual Report, and Blake’s Story in our 2017-2018 Annual Report, both are compelling, and the statistics for students who do not get appropriate reading instruction are grim, and outlined in the Progress Reports in both stories. You can also see the statistics regarding the success of our programs HERE.
Senate Bill 173 is up for reconsideration during this legislative session. The bill addresses Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) and was introduced last session and defeated 28-25.
The bill would allow parents to use funds earmarked for public education to pay for qualified education expenses, including private school tuition. This would not be dependent on an IEP or 504, though we are not clear if this could supplement other scholarships or if receiving others, students may not be eligible for this. We will update as we find out.
Bills such as this would greatly benefit so many of our families. Most of our students, 93%, receive some sort of financial assistance, and over 40% receive at least 2 sources of financial assistance. The largest funding source is the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (SB10) with other sources including: Georgia Tax Credit Scholarship, Easter Seals, and other Foundation Scholarships.
Having an additional option for many families would help students receive the services they desperately need without a financial burden on their families.
Georgia House Bill 939 will keep the cap on Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship program at $100 million. House Bill 217 (March 2018) made a cap increase from $58 million to $100 million. However, the bill has the cap returning to $58 million by 2029.
We realize this is not an immediate concern, but we also realize how much this scholarship benefits many of our families, and want to keep it as an option for our younger students who may still be enrolled at that time, as well as future students.
The $58 million cap was first exceeded in 2016 (2015 pledge year), which had the approved pledged amounts diminished to keep the totals under the cap. At that time, the approval rate was 91% of what was pledged. During the 2017 and 2018 cycle, the approval rates were 42% and 55%, respectively.
Last year, 2019, we saw not only a marked increase in pledges (42%) over the previous year, with the cap increase, it generated 146% more scholarship money for our students, many of whom would not be able to attend without this assistance.
The chart below shows how amazing our families are, the increase in pledging support as well as fulfilling their commitment. In each instance where the yellow bar (fulfillment) does not meet the red bar (approved amount), there was an unexpected financial situation that reduced the amount they were able to contribute, which is entirely understandable.
As we are embarking on 15 years of helping students reach their full reading potential (you can see our RESULTS), our ultimate goal is to have no child unable to attend because of his/her family’s financial situation. This scholarship, as well as our fundraising events, are essential for that endeavor. The graph below clearly shows the negative impact the $58 million cap had, where red & yellow were considerably below the blue (pledged amount) for 2017 & 2018.
PLEASE REACH OUT to your Representative and share this information.
Also, the 2020 cap has not been met! You can still help!
Click HERE for MORE INFORMATION and HERE to PLEDGE
#UntilEveryoneCanRead #1in5
Senator Renee S. Unterman – R (45th District) has filed a bill that would improve SB10 (Georgia Special Needs Scholarship):
This would ensure the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship reaches more eligible students by raising awareness for families, cutting red tape, and lowering barriers that frustrate efforts to enroll.
Ms. Noelle will be going to the capitol TOMORROW to tell her story about her daughter, Charlotte, as it will be addressed in committee. We will keep you updated as we learn more.
Many of our families at Brookwood Christian rely on this scholarship to ensure their child receives the services they need, as dyslexia, and many other language processing concerns, are not adequately addressed, if at all, in public school.
Please CONTACT YOUR SENATOR and ask them to support SB 386 so that all Georgia students with special needs have access to a school where they can thrive, and tell them your story if it applies!
You can read Mellie’s Story in our 2018-2019 Annual Report, and Blake’s Story in our 2017-2018 Annual Report, both are compelling, and the statistics for students who do not get appropriate reading instruction are grim, and outlined in the Progress Reports in both stories. You can also see the statistics regarding the success of our programs HERE.
Get to Know Families Impacted by Georgia’s Special Needs Scholarship.
If you have any questions, feel free to email Ms. Kim for clarification.
In a recent opinion piece about Senate Bill 48 by the Atlanta Journal & Constitution: Mistake to Test all Georgia Kindergarteners for Dyslexia, a former Fayette County School Board Member, who was also a candidate for Georgia State School Superintendent in 2014, a 2016 candidate for the US Senate, and a 2018 candidate to the Georgia House for District 72 shares her concerns about the bill in blue, our rebuttal is in black:
“The bill defines dyslexia using the exact definition supplied by the International Dyslexia Association or IDA, a private corporation”
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) is a registered 501(c)(3) non profit (EIN: 52-0953609) that files an IRS form 990! We are also a registered 501(c)(3) non profit that files a 990, and the notion that either is a “Private Corporation” is laughable. They have a 100% “Accountability & Transparency” Score on Charity Navigator.
“In reality, there is far less certainty about dyslexia and how it is recognized. Many teachers avoid using the term because it is so vague that it has lost any real value.”
Most school districts NEVER STARTED USING the term! Forget about losing any real value, when they never applied it. Teachers have been cautioned not to call their students dyslexic because if they do, then the district will have to address dyslexia.
“Teachers have been cautioned not to call their students dyslexic because it is a medical diagnosis”
If it really were the “medical diagnosis” she claims, all of our students would be able to seek a medical waiver for SB10 and other scholarships. It certainly has medical implications as outlined below.
“There’s also no objective proof any of their programs actually produce results, or that they are better than any of the other programs available.”
Yes, there is. Besides the plethora of proof elsewhere, we have been a recipient of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation Grant and as a result we have to submit an impact report. We have a statistician that analyzes the results and we use those results to place students in upcoming years as well as to evaluate our programs. Basically, they work! You can read more HERE. In fairness, is it the program? The environment? Our class size? That is hard to separate. However, something has to be done to address the issues, and early identification, which she opposes, gets students the help & resources they need.
“According to the University of Michigan, dyslexia can be difficult to diagnose, and there is no cure because dyslexia is not a disease.”
Interestingly, the University of Michigan also has THIS page, specifically for Dyslexia Reading Programs. It’s far less difficult to diagnose than it is to treat. As for it being a disease, SHE called it a “medical diagnosis”, which “is the process of determining which disease or condition…”, and while she is correct, it is not a “disease”, it is definitely a condition, that ignored, has long term implications, as seen below.
Our Wilson® Reading and Fast ForWord® Reading programs for our students with language processing disorders, such as dyslexia, yield impressive results in improving reading scores for. The following statistics are why we strive to ensure our students graduate at the best reading level they can attain:
1. www.rif.org/literacy-network/facts#Georgia
2. www.begintoread.com/research/literacystatistics.html
3. www.nrrf.org/research.htm
4. proliteracy.org/Resources/Adult-Literacy-Facts
Interestingly, the Arkansas Senate is about to vote on a bill that would require testing of inmates AND “the agencies must provide reading instruction or dyslexia intervention if a juvenile or inmate scores below the reading proficiency level considered high functioning, according to the bills.”
How bad does it have to get in Georgia? 
Please contact the Governor’s Office to express your support for SB48.
Source: https://www.ajc.com/blog/get-schooled/opinion-mistake-test-all-georgia-kindergarteners-for-dyslexia
Senate Bill 48, a mandate that elementary schools screen for dyslexia, has just passed the House unanimously. It also passed the Senate unanimously in February. The mandate would be contingent upon state funding. The bill also seeks to train teachers. Thanks to advocates such as Decoding Dyslexia-Georgia and International Dyslexia Association-Georgia Chapter. We would like to thank Ed Setzler, the representative for the school’s district, and a committee member, who supported the legislation, as well as Lindsey Tippens, the senator for the school’s district, who also supported it!
The bill originally would have required all kindergartners be screened beginning the 20-21 school year. However the House pushed that back to begin in the 2024 school year, to allow time for the state to research methods. The state school superintendent will have to pick at least three school districts for a pilot program starting in the fall of 2020.
This will also allow the Professional Standards Commission to establish a special credential for teachers who’ve been trained to recognize dyslexia and to address it. They would also establish standards for teacher preparation programs offering dyslexia training.
More HERE.
#SayDyslexia #UntilEveryoneCanRead
