Milford seeks waiver from state-approved literacy program
MILFORD — The state’s newly approved Right to Read Act is an educational overreach, according to Superintendent Anna Cutaia, with financial and instructional ramifications that could ultimately hurt the district.
The Right to Read Act is legislation designed to improve grade-school reading curricula across the state. The legislation calls for $12.8 million in spending to ensure that school districts where students are falling behind can hire reading coaches. But local educators say they are already following the guidelines in the act and do not need to opt in to this new legislation.
“We are meeting the Right to Read legislation,” said Cutaia. “That’s my whole point. I don’t need to buy a box. We are doing it. I just want the state department to give us a chance to show them that we are.”
“The act has some sweeping changes in the world of literacy,” said Assistant Superintendent Amy Fedigan. “We have some concerns not only about the potential financial impact but how some of them might not align with our district model for highquality instruction.”
At its most recent meeting, Milford’s school board heard a presentation from the administration over the Right to Read Act. The school district is seeking a waiver from the state Department of Education to avoid falling under the new legislation’s requirements.
Cutaia said there are concerns from the superintendent association on the research backing of the programs.
“We have questions on how effective the programs are outside of specific settings and specific demographics of students,” said Cutaia. “In the State of Connecticut, there are only 11 districts that currently use one of the five programs from the state department.”
Baked into the Right to Read legislation, despite some pushback from educators and parents during public hearings, is the establishment of a Center for Literacy Research and Reading Success at the state Department of Education that will oversee the reading curriculum for Connecticut students in grades PreK-3.
An advisory council within the new literacy center will ensure that school districts are using one of the five approved methods of teaching by July 1, 2023.
Milford school officials have several concerns, with the biggest being the ability of one program meeting the needs of every student.
“We don’t believe one program could meet every student’s needs,” said Bethany Mauro, instructional supervisor in the humanities for grades PreK-5. “We must equip teachers with the resources and professional learning in their toolbox to make an informed decision.”
The bill received bipartisan support, but some educators and parents raised concerns about establishing the literacy center, and requiring districts to implement reading models approved by the center.
“We are concerned that by buying an off-the-shelf program, that wouldn’t align with our district’s model for high-quality instruction and might be an overreach because the state wouldn’t know Milford, our community or what our learners need,” said Mauro.
Another concern the school administration has with the literacy program is the financial cost.
“Of the five programs, we have reached out to all vendors for quotes because if this is going to be a state requirement we want to do our due diligence,” Mauro said. “Without professional learning, this is about a $1 million cost.”
Cutaia said the administration would not be budgeting for the literacy program.
“We are not putting an additional million dollars in because I believe we need to stay the course,” said Cutaia. “We are in a good place. We have a solid curriculum and an effective instructional model. Also, I believe it’s professionally irresponsible to commit $1 million to a program we have not studied. I would expect the board to hold me accountable to do our due diligence if we purchase a reading program that will affect our entire elementary school body.”
Mauro said the school district would also need to overhaul the curriculum again in kindergarten to third grade, which they’ve just done in the last two years.
Districts will have the option to submit a waiver to implement a different model that did not get reviewed by the council, but it would have to be approved by the education commissioner and advisory council.
Cutaia said they had seen some movement from the state by widening the strict waiver process.
“There are still some concerns about whether districts like Milford or any others that don’t use the program can attain the waiver,” she said. “The waiver is due in December, and we don’t have it yet.”