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Parents and teachers urge board to keep reading interventionists, share student success stories
Summary
More than 40 parents, teachers and literacy specialists told the board that eliminating or reducing Literacy/Language Interventionist positions would harm struggling readers; multiple speakers offered concrete examples and a petition with 500+ signatures.
A long line of parents, classroom teachers and literacy specialists addressed the board to oppose proposed cuts to district reading supports. Speakers described individual student improvements after LLI intervention — in one case, a child moved from the 20th to the 60th percentile after two months of support — and urged trustees to maintain the positions or shift them to earlier‑grade work rather than eliminating them.
Tiffany Estrada, a decade‑plus LLI teacher, told the board that the low number of students identified for tier‑3 services is a result of prior intervention work and cautioned that removing the positions would disadvantage students who still require intensive help. Several teachers and parents called for shifting resources toward K–2 prevention while preserving targeted tier‑3 services for the most urgent cases.
Many public commenters also asked for clearer staff reports and metrics on compliance, facility use in joint‑use agreements, and fuller outreach before votes. The board’s decision to continue personnel votes to March 3 reflected trustees’ request for more data and community engagement before final action.
