Parents, advocates press Santa Ana Unified for clarity on dyslexia screening 'Sunday system'
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Summary
Parents and special-education advocates urged the Santa Ana Unified School District to clarify whether an early dyslexia screening program (referred to in public comment as the "Sunday system") will be implemented, and asked for clearer communications and alignment between advisory committees and classroom practice.
Margarita Gonzalez, a parent and organizer with a group formerly called Adopt a School, told the Santa Ana Unified board on Jan. 27 that families and educators in the district remain unsure whether an early dyslexia-screening program discussed last fall will be rolled out to campuses.
"Number 1, clarity and transparency regarding the status of the Sunday system program or other early screening tools," Gonzalez told the board during public comment, listing explicit requests for the district to publish its timeline and communications. She said families across the district report they do not know what stage implementation is in and worry children are continuing without timely supports.
Gonzalez described the screening as critical for early identification and called for "clear and accessible communication for families and schools about what is actually being implemented," and for consistency between district advisory bodies (DAC, DLAC, CAC) and classroom practice. Her remarks echoed concerns from other parents who said some students go years without identification or updated IEPs.
Superintendent Dr. Perez acknowledged the concern in his earlier remarks about the district’s priorities and said staff would follow up; during the meeting staff offered to provide additional information and engage with committees to clarify next steps. Board members asked staff to return data and a timeline so the board and families could confirm what screening tools are being used and when.
The public comment period where Gonzalez spoke included multiple families and teachers who praised specific classroom supports at Edward B. Cole and other schools but pressed the district for transparency about district-wide programs so individual schools and families know what to expect.
Next steps: Gonzalez and allies asked the board for an explicit status update and a communications plan; district staff committed to providing follow-up materials (a B2B packet and committee updates) to the board and to community groups. The board did not take a formal vote on the screening program that night.