Parents urge district to retain reading specialists; board hears two community speakers
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Summary
At public comment, parent Jeremy Rivera said the district’s shift from reading specialists to instructional coaches risks students’ reading progress; his daughter Juliana described reading gains tied to her reading specialist. A separate speaker, Roger Green, urged the board to endorse the Achievement and Integration plan.
Two members of the public spoke during the comments period at the Feb. 19 South Washington County Schools board meeting.
Jeremy Rivera, a district employee and parent, told the board that the district has converted reading specialists into instructional coach roles and said he feared losing targeted reading services. Rivera said his daughter benefited from a reading specialist: "If it wasn't for a reading specialist, my daughter would not be reading above grade level," he said, and urged the board to reconsider staffing changes that he described as reducing reading specialist duties.
Rivera’s daughter, Juliana Rivera, spoke briefly about her experience. She said she began the third grade below grade level and, with support from a reading specialist, reached proficiency and earned MCA reading scores of "Exceeds." "If I didn't have her, I would not be above grade level," Juliana said.
Roger Green, a Woodbury resident, spoke in favor of the Achievement and Integration plan and encouraged the board to endorse the district’s approach to integration and student supports.
Why it matters: Public speakers raised staffing and program concerns tied to student outcomes and urged the board to consider how district staffing changes affect reading interventions.
Provenance: Public comments by Jeremy and Juliana Rivera are recorded in SEG 056–SEG 118; Roger Green’s comment is in SEG 121–SEG 181.