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Parents press for education ombudsman, structured-literacy training and earlier screening for dyslexia
Summary
Multiple parents and advocates urged lawmakers to back Senate Bill 873 (education ombudsman) and structured-literacy training for K–3 teachers, saying families often pay privately to secure evaluations and interventions.
Parents, advocates and dyslexia groups asked the select committee to back a state-level education ombudsman and to require evidence-based, structured-literacy training for early-grade teachers.
Why it matters: Parents described long delays, district denials and the out-of-pocket cost of private evaluations and tutoring. Advocates said a neutral ombudsman could resolve concerns before families resort to expensive mediation and legal action.
What parents told the committee: Lisonbee Quirion, founder of Decoding Dyslexia Connecticut, told lawmakers many families cannot afford costly advocates and attorneys and urged support for an ombudsman to “listen to and facilitate solutions prior to the expense of mediation and due process.” Jennifer Zabitakis (Tolland) said her son was privately tested as severely dyslexic after a school assessment concluded he was "fine," and that the family then paid for a trained structured-literacy tutor; she said the private costs equaled what a year of public university tuition would cost.
Support for legislation and screening: Several speakers specifically asked the committee to support Senate Bill 873 (education ombudsman) and related legislation to update K–3 screening statutes (testifiers cited proposals often labeled as SB 873 and SB 874 in testimony). Teachers and parents urged mandatory training in structured literacy (several mentioned Orton–Gillingham or similar supervised practicum models) for K–3 classroom teachers, reading specialists and special-education teachers.
Program-level fixes and teacher preparation: Educators at the hearing recommended raising the quality of teacher-preparation programs and ensuring current teachers receive in-service training on evidence-based reading instruction; one testifier said common classroom reading programs in use are not evidence-based and should be replaced.
Ending: Parents and specialists tied early identification and teacher training to long-term cost savings and better student outcomes; they urged the committee to place the proposed bills on a public hearing and to consider implementation and accountability measures.
