ABC13 town hall explores life for students with dyslexia
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Federal law requires each state to provide students with a free education, tailored to their individual needs. So why is Texas shortchanging students with dyslexia?
In observation of Dyslexia Awareness Month, ABC13 gathered experts and lawmakers for a town hall, highlighting the fight for equality and the disparities people with dyslexia face every day.
ABC13 special projects manager Justin Sternberg, who himself is a dyslexic thinker, asked important questions about the barriers to success for people with dyslexia. He and his panel also addressed some of the common myths surrounding the learning disorder.
A 2018 report by the Texas Education Agency showed it spent $41.6 million less on students with disabilities during the 2016-2017 school year, putting the state in violation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
After a $33.3 million fine by the U.S. Department of Education, the TEA pledged to fix the deficiencies, including increasing special education funding by nearly $1 billion over four years.
But, the TEA was ruled out of compliance again after regulators found it had only completed one part of the corrective actions.
Texas state law requires all public school students to be screened and tested for dyslexia by the time they reach the first grade.
