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Bilingual speech‑language pathologists urge district support; public pushes for more dyslexia screening and training
Summary
Bilingual speech‑language pathologists and community members told the board that bilingual assessments require extra time and cultural‑linguistic expertise, asked the district to value bilingual SLPs, and urged expanded dyslexia supports beyond state screening requirements.
Several district speech‑language pathologists and residents used the public comment period to press the Garden Grove Unified School District for stronger supports for bilingual students and more robust dyslexia screening and remediation.
Kathy Magana Gomez, a bilingual Spanish speech‑language pathologist, told the board she represents SLPs in the district and emphasized the department’s role across grade levels, including services for non‑speaking students and use of augmentative and alternative communication. "Our bilingual abilities allow us to connect to families at IEP meetings and student study team meetings," she said, and asked the district to recognize bilingual SLPs’ value in serving linguistically diverse students.
Hung Pham, another bilingual SLP at Murty Elementary, explained that bilingual evaluations ‘‘require more time and cultural‑linguistic considerations’’ and that some languages lack standardized assessments, so clinicians rely on dual‑language samples, interviews and informal measures.
Parent and community commenter Nicole Jaimez said she had filed a state complaint and alleged the board is "selective of who you wish to interact with," arguing the district only agreed to screen for dyslexia because it was required by the state. Jaimez urged more training and resources for reading disabilities beyond brief courses, saying screening alone will not meet students’ needs.
District staff responded during the programs and instruction discussion that students identified with dyslexia would receive supports through the district’s MTSS framework at tiers 1–3 and noted expansion of reading coaches and literacy training. A district representative said the PSAT program is offered so all 11th‑grade students have equitable access and to provide college and career information to students; the board approved a PSAT program at a district cost of $41,322.24.
Why this matters: Bilingual assessment capacity and dyslexia screening affect identification and services for students with reading and language needs. Parents and clinicians said training and caseload considerations must match screening efforts to avoid misdiagnosis and unmet needs.
The district said it will provide an updated plan to the board and continue expanding literacy supports.
