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Parents and community press Port Washington board on reading intervention, pre‑K devices and AI policy
Summary
Speakers urged the district to provide Orton‑Gillingham for dyslexic students, remove devices from pre‑K, and develop clear AI policies. Administration said pre‑K devices will be removed next year and professional learning on dyslexia will be provided; trustees agreed to draft resolutions on AI and testing research.
Community members and trustees used the May 5 meeting to press the district on three interrelated topics: evidence‑based reading interventions, device use for young children, and AI policy.
Kara Miller, a parent, asked the district to provide certified Orton‑Gillingham (OG) intervention for dyslexic and struggling readers, saying private OG services led to rapid improvement for her child and arguing that district access should not depend on family means. The board and administration said professional learning on dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia will be provided K–12 as part of the district’s professional learning plan, but did not commit to a timeline or to districtwide certified OG delivery during the meeting.
Pedro Avila, representing a local chapter of OK to Delay, urged the board to reconsider device leases and to remove devices from pre‑K students. In response, trustees and administration confirmed district plans to remove iPads from preschool classrooms next year and scheduled a targeted June presentation on device use at each age level, including the rationale for devices and evidence the district will use to guide decisions.
Public commenters also raised broader questions about AI in schools. Diana Delgado Coller asked the board to prioritize humanities and empathy in curriculum as schools navigate AI, and community speakers and trustees discussed possible resolutions for the New York State School Boards Association (NISPA/NYSSBA) asking for research into computer‑based testing and for guardrails around AI use. Several trustees said they favor local control while also supporting state‑level discussion about teacher certification protections to prevent AI from supplanting certified educators.
The administration clarified legal protections for student data under New York Education Law 2‑d in response to concerns about an i‑Ready lawsuit in California. Trustees agreed to circulate draft language for two possible resolutions (research on computer‑based testing and an AI‑related position) and to bring drafts back for review ahead of NISPA deadlines.
The board asked administration to present more data at the June meeting and to provide updates to the community; no new districtwide mandates were adopted at the May 5 session.
