How to successfully advocate for change in public schools

By Sarah Martinez

Dyslexia made headlines in Fort Worth, Texas, in August of 2016. A front-page article in the local paper announced that Fort Worth Independent School District had made a $5 million investment in its Dyslexia Services department.

For Fort Worth parent-activists, it was a rare moment of triumph in the neverending battle to get dyslexic children the support they need. A year filled with meetings, letter writing, phone calls, and public speeches preceded this victory. Parents, administrators, school-board trustees, and educators worked tirelessly to find common ground and the money needed to make change happen. It wasn’t easy. It took a long time.

It was worth it.

You can make this kind of lasting change in your community, too. Here’s how.

Connect with other parents

Dyslexia is sometimes called a “hidden disability.” You can’t tell by looking at a person that they have this learning difference. This makes it hard for families to connect with others facing the same challenges. Privacy is also a concern, of course. No one wants to pry into another’s business.

The downside to this is that many families felt they were fighting a battle alone. It was difficult, if not impossible, to share experiences and resources. This began to change with the creation of the Facebook group Fort Worth Connections: Learning Differences. Word spread, and the group quickly grew. (It currently has 500+ members.) Suddenly, parents throughout the city were connected to other families facing similar challenges.

Parents of dyslexics quickly began “comparing notes” on this online forum. We realized that our students were struggling citywide, and the district didn’t have the staff or funds to help them. It was time to take additional steps to help all dyslexic children in Fort Worth. We needed to build an alliance.

Reach out to administrators, elected officials

A face-to-face meeting was the next step. Five parents, one FWISD board trustee, and two administrators (from dyslexia and special-education departments) gathered to discuss unmet needs and tight budgets. Parents learned about the real-life implications of “unfunded mandate.” Texas has a robust dyslexia law, but does not allocate any money to fund programs. This leaves school districts in an untenable situation. Everyone agreed that better curriculum and more staff were needed to help the 1 in 5 dyslexic students in our district. The problem, of course, was money.

Learn about budgeting processes

The timing of this meeting was fortuitous. It was early in the year, and budgets for the 2016-2017 school year were still in development. Parent-advocates learned that there are multiple iterations and many, many presentations about the district’s budget prior to its adoption each summer. We needed to get our requests and concerns before the school board and administrators.

Put it in writing; present it in person

Parents used the Fort Worth Learning Connections Facebook group and other dyslexia-specific forums to launch an email writing campaign. We borrowed each other’s verbiage, personalizing it to our family’s situation. The process took more time, but had a greater impact than a generic online petition. Our elected officials took notice, and urged administrators to reallocate funds to improve the long-neglected dyslexia services department. These messages were also presented in person during public comment at board meetings. This tactic associated a real human face with the many emails received.

Rally the troops

As summer approached, our intrepid group of parent-advocates reported good progress. Their board trustees were listening and reaching out to them. Preliminary budgets indicated that there would be a significant increase in funding for the dyslexia services department. Now was the time to show there is strength in numbers.

On May 11, 2016, close to 20 Fort Worth parent-advocates gathered for lunch to swap stories and continue to find ways to work together. This strong show of support caught the attention of local media. Several moms agreed to “go public” and speak with a reporter from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. (Read the full story here)

In July 2016, Fort Worth ISD passed a budget that invested $5 million in the dyslexia services department. New, updated curriculum was purchased. The district committed to hire dozens of highly qualified educators work with students in small groups.

This development, plus the personal stories of Fort Worth families, made front-page news. The story was shared in dyslexia newsletters and forums throughout the nation. Other parent-advocates used this news to prod their own school districts to take action. Like the proverbial pebble tossed into a pond, the work done in Fort Worth rippled outward, impacting students throughout the U.S.

Keep the watchdogs on duty

The improvement in Fort Worth was remarkable. The ongoing challenge is to ensure it lasts. Local parent-advocates continue to closely monitor the school district’s budgeting processes. It’s important to be vigilant. Public schools have to make hard decisions about the limited funds received. Our group watches the line-items for dyslexia services to make sure they aren’t adversely impacted by budget cuts. Simultaneously, we urge our state representatives to properly fund public education in our state. We know our future depends on it.

(Image: Screen shot of front page article from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Click here to read the story.)