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Parents urge Marple Newtown School District to retain Wilson program, oppose switch to Read 180
Summary
Parents from Russell Elementary told the curriculum committee May 12 that Wilson — a certified, multisensory reading intervention — produced rapid gains for their dyslexic children and should not be replaced by Read 180, which they said emphasizes vocabulary over decoding and can be taught without specialized certification.
Parents and advocates urged the Marple Newtown School District curriculum committee on May 12 to keep the Wilson reading program in place for students with dyslexia, warning that a planned replacement with Read 180 would not meet those students’ needs.
Stephanie Embasy, the mother of James Embasy, a fourth grader at Russell Elementary, described a prolonged Individualized Education Program (IEP) process that led to her son’s enrollment in Wilson late last year. “When I tell you the difference I’ve seen in five or so months, it has been amazing,” Embasy said, describing gains in reading, classroom confidence and other subjects.
Embasy and other speakers said Wilson uses an Orton‑Gillingham, multisensory approach and requires specially certified instructors, while Read 180 focuses more on vocabulary and comprehension. “It doesn’t work as well for somebody like James,” Embasy said of Read 180, arguing the program does not address the decoding and fluency problems typical of dyslexia.
Leanne Opelman Serillo, whose daughter Ardan attends Russell Elementary, recounted that her child read at roughly a second‑ or third‑grade level before Wilson and began independently reading after receiving the program in fourth grade. Opelman Serillo told the committee she had been in contact with Michelle Anderson, who leads the district’s special education work, and asked the board to preserve programs that fit individual students’ needs.
Danielle Piery, another parent, added that IEPs are designed to identify individual supports and that the district should not remove interventions that demonstrably help students. Piery also asked the board to recognize teachers who pursued Wilson certification.
Committee materials flagged a curricular motion on the agenda to replace Wilson with Read 180; speakers framed their comments as a request that the board research and consider the effects on dyslexic students before voting. No formal vote on the program change was recorded at the committee meeting; committee members indicated the motion will come before the board for approval in May.
The comments were part of the curriculum, instruction and technology committee meeting; committee members did not take a vote during public comment. The curriculum committee is expected to bring action items, including the proposed curricular motions, to the full board in a future meeting.
