Support Bills to Help Students with Dyslexia & Reading Difficulties

Dyslexia ACTION ALERT: Support House Bills 1486 and 1264 Today!

Support HB1264 & HB1486 to narrow the reading gap @DelegateKaiser @EricLuedtke #danastein #mdpolitics @RightToRead ~ https://t.co/2zZS95tun3 pic.twitter.com/iPYTmnS7tY

— Decoding Dyslexia MD (@dyslexiasomd) February 24, 2017

****LEGISLATIVE ACTION ALERT****

Please call, email and/or write your Delegate in Annapolis to support House Bills 1486 and HB 1264.  Hearings are scheduled for Tuesday, March 7 for HB 1486 and Friday, March 10th for HB 1264 before the House Ways & Means Committee. Bills are listed below in order of hearing date and are EQUALLY important.

The Membership of the House Ways & Means Committee is listed below -- if your Delegate is a member click the highlighted link and follow the instructions provided for each bill.  

If your Delegate is not a member of the Ways & Means Committee, follow the instructions below to contact your Delegate by phone, email and/or mail.

We need you to attend the hearings and please wear red to show visual support for the legislation.

Who is My Legislator?
I Want to Testify -- scroll down for information on how to testify
I Want to Attend -- scroll down for information on parking, security and directions
LET US KNOW HOW IT WENT

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House Bill 1486: Teacher Preparation, Hearing March 7, Ways & Means Committee, 1pm (bills are heard beginning at 1pm), Sponsor: Delegate Dana Stein

HB 1486, Teacher & Teacher Preparation Programs:  SUMMARY

​Requiring the Professional Standards and Teacher Education Board, on or before January 1, 2019, to require a candidate for a certificate to teach specified students to pass a test of research-based reading instruction; requiring the Board and the State Board of Education jointly to set the passing score for the test, subject to a specified condition; requiring the Board and the State Board jointly to set standards for the delivery of reading instruction by teacher preparation programs in the State; etc.  (Amendments are proposed to change some of the referents in the language to reflect evidence based vs research based.)
 
This bill would improve reading instruction in the state of Maryland by requiring:

1. A test of teacher knowledge on reading instruction for certification of Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade teachers, Reading Teachers, Reading Specialists, Teachers of students with Limited English Proficiency and Special Education Teachers; and 
   
   
2. Coursework in foundational reading elements and principles during undergraduate teacher preparation in Maryland Universities
   
   

This bill would help provide Maryland teachers with more effective preparation to teach all students to read, write and spell.  School districts cannot sustain the costs of professional learning in foundational reading  particularly when this knowledge should have been provided in undergraduate university coursework.

ACTION STEPS FOR HOUSE BILL 1486

House Bill 1486
Step One: Find your Delegate in Annapolis -- "WHO IS MY LEGISLATOR" and enter the information requested. 

Step Two: You will see a pop-up box with all your elected officials.  At the bottom, you will see your state Senator and Delegate.  Uncheck the box for your Senator, then click: Create Message

Step Three: Another pop-up window will open and allow you to enter your information and a brief message of fewer than 1500 characters. Create your message using the talking points below. OR

Step 4:  If you would rather contact your Delegate by email, a phone call and/or snail mail, click the Delegate's name, which will connect to their email address, phone number and mailing address.

TALKING POINTS

• 60% of Maryland students read below grade level (PARCC Assessments 2016)
• Education graduates from Maryland colleges and universities are not assessed or certified to teach foundational reading skills to students.  This is an equity issue particularly for underserved students.
• K-12 schools cannot sustain the costs to retrain recent college graduates in foundational reading, writing and spelling skills. 
• Many Maryland graduates of K-12 public schools require remediation before they can enter college.  Students must pay out of pocket for remediation and many of these students drop out of college with a debt-load, no degree and substandard literacy skills.
• This bill will help teachers help all public school students achieve literacy and close the reading achievement gap.
  
  

PLEASE ASK YOUR LEGISLATOR TO DO THE FOLLOWING:

1. IF your legislator is a Member of the House Ways and Means Committee (scroll down for the list), please ask that they vote yes in committee and send a favorable report on March 7, 2017.  
2. Ask that your legislator cosponsor the bill​Vote YES on the bill when it comes to the House Floor for a vote

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HOUSE BILL 1264, DYSLEXIA & READING PILOT PROGRAM ADVISORY BOARD, Hearing Friday, March 10, Ways & Means Committee, 1pm (beginning at 1pm)
House Bill 1264, Sponsor: Delegate Conaway ​

​ACTION STEPS for House Bill 1264

HEARING DATE: Friday, March 10, 1:00pm (bills are scheduled anytime between 1pm-5pm or later).

Step One: Find your legislator in Annapolis -- CLICK "WHO IS MY LEGISLATOR" and enter the information requested. 

Step Two: You will see a pop-up box with all your elected officials.  At the bottom, you will see your state Senator and Delegate.  Uncheck the pop-up box for your Senator, then click: Create Message

Step Three: Another pop-up window will open and allow you to enter your information and a brief message of fewer than 1500 characters. Create your message using the talking points below. OR

Step 4:  If you would rather contact your Delegate directly by email, a phone call and/or snail mail, click the Delegate's name to connect to their home page where you will find their email address, phone number and mailing address.

 Talking Points

1. This legislation would create the Dyslexia and Reading Pilot Advisory Board
2. It would implement the reading pilot program developed by the “Task Force to Study the Implementation of a Dyslexia Education Pilot Program.”
3. The legislature and the Governor appointed the Task Force members and it included a broad coalition of teachers, parents, school administrators and State Education officials -- it is bipartisan.
4. The pilot is needed:  60% of Maryland students were reading below grade level in 2016.  We must help kids learn to read.
5. LINK to Task Force Report and Recommendations - the report can be downloaded and shared with your legislator if they request a copy.

Please Ask Your Legislator to do the Following: 

1. IF your legislator is a Member of the House Ways and Means Committee (scroll down for list), please ask that they vote yes in committee on Friday, March 10, 2017.  Members of the W&M committee voted yes to create the original Dyslexia Task Force -- this is the next step in the process to create a dyslexia pilot program.
   
   
2. Ask that your legislator cosponsor the bill
   
   
3. If they are NOT a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, Ask Your Delegate to Vote YES on the bill when it comes to the House Floor and send a letter or email offering support for the bill.

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House of Delegates Ways & Means Committee Membership
House Ways and Means Committee, Room 131
Lowe House Office Building
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401
Parking: Gott's Garage or Navy-Marine Corps Stadium

Montgomery County
Eric Luedtke  Dis. 14 [email protected] (410 841 3110)  
Anne Kaiser Dis. 14 [email protected] (410 841 3036) 
Jheanelle Wilkins Dis. 20 [email protected]  (410 841 3493)  

Baltimore County
Eric Ebersole Dis 12 [email protected] (410 841-3328)
Robert B. Long  Dis 6  [email protected] ((410 841 3458) 

Howard County
Eric Ebersole Dis 12 [email protected] (410 841-3328)
Frank S. Turner Dis. 13  [email protected] (410 841 3246)

Prince George's County
James Tarlau Dis. 47A [email protected] (410 841 3326)
Jay Walker Dis.26 [email protected] (410 841 3581)
Darryl Barnes Dis.25 [email protected] (410 841 3557)
Carolyn B. Howard Dis.24 [email protected] (410 841 3919)
Alonzo Washington Dis.22 [email protected] (410 841 3652)

Carroll County
April Rose Dist. 5 [email protected] (410 841 3070)
Kathryn Afzali Dis.4 [email protected] ((410 841 3288)
Haven Shoemaker,Jr. Dis 5  [email protected] (410 841 3359) 

Frederick County
Kathryn Afzali Dist.4 [email protected] ((410 841 3288)

Baltimore City
Mary Washington Dis.43 [email protected] (410 841 3476)
Bilal Ali Dis.41  [email protected]  ( 410 841 3268)
Nick Mosby Dis.40 [email protected] (410 841 3520)

Cecil County 
Kevin Hornberger Dis. 35A  [email protected] (410 841 3284)  
Teresa E. Reilly Dis. 35B [email protected] ( 410 841 3278) 
Del Reilly also Harford County

Charles County
Edith J. Patterson Ed.D  Dis .28 ( [email protected] (410 841 3247)

Anne Arundel County 
Meagan C. Simonaire Dis 31B [email protected](410 841 3206)
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Allegany County
Delegate Jason C. Buckel Dis. 1B  [email protected] (410 841 3404)

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Parking, Security & Testimony

Hearing Location

House Ways and Means Committee Room 131, Lowe House Office Building, 6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401 LINK to MAP


Parking Options

Gott's Garage 
Navy-Marine Corps Stadium -- parking is $5 all day and the shuttle to College Avenue/Lawyer's Mall is $4 round trip, exact change required.  Please allow at least 30 minutes to catch the shuttle and transit to your destination.  The bus drops you off at the back of the House Office Building.  Cross the street to Bladen Street/Rowe Blvd (Rt. 50) and walk about 1/2 block to the entrance to the office building on the right. 

Security
​

• Enter the row of doors near the flagpole on Bladen Street/Rowe Boulevard
• Have your identification ready
• Be prepared to go through a screening process -- metal on boots, belts, etc. will set off the metal detector
• Depending on the number of visitors, there could be a line to gain entrance so give yourself at least 20 minutes to go through security.
• Once inside, security can direct you to the Ways & Means Committee -- there also is an information desk in the central lobby area.

Offering Testimony

• Arrive early
• Testimony Requirements for Ways & Means, 2017
• All written testimony (35 copies) must be submitted to the Committee staff in the Ways and Means Hearing Room #130 beginning at 9:00am up until 12:00noon (one hour before the announced hearing time). Printed materials will be distributed on the member’s desks only by committee staff. Late testimony will be accepted, but will be distributed to the members at the next scheduled hearing.
  • DDMD will help with copying and distribution of your testimony:  Please email it to [email protected] as soon as possible.
• All witnesses wishing to offer oral testimony must be signed-in one hour before the hearing begins – no exceptions will be allowed. Oral testimony is limited to three minutes for individuals and five minutes for groups. The Chairman reserves the right to alter this limit so that both proponents and opponents have the opportunity to be heard.  DDMD will sign you in if you cannot be there by 12:00 Noon. Please contact [email protected] if you would like this assistance.
  
  Note: Any individual requiring special assistance should call Keith Walmsley at least 48 hours prior to the hearing at 410-841-3469. 

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​Resources
​
Report of the Task Force to Study the Implementation of a Dyslexia Education Program (in Maryland)

House Bill 1264: Pilot Advisory Board: Link to General Assembly Website for Tracking and Information

House Bill 1486: Teacher Preparation Bill: Link to General Assembly Website for Tracking and Information

Directions & Parking Information: Lowe House Office Building/Ways & Means Committee, 6 Bladen St.  
Annapolis, MD 21401