One in Five by Micki Boas

ONE IN FIVE by Micki Boas, an educational rights activist and mother of students with dyslexia, is an in-depth, personal look at “How We're Fighting for Our Dyslexic Kids in a System That's Failing Them.” The publisher says, ONE IN FIVE “shares the secrets the ‘professionals’ won’t tell you but that make all the difference” which is such a very apt description of the experience of navigating public schools with a child who has dyslexia. Boas herself was motivated by the legal battles involving her son’s education and feels strongly that school take a “don’t ask, don’t tell” position because they frequently lack funding to provide needed resources. I was honestly shocked to learn that The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity (where Sally Shaywitz who wrote Overcoming Dyslexia is based) found that dyslexia affects “up to 20 percent of our population and up to 90 percent of all those with learning disabilities.” Boas argues that parents either are forced to pay out of pocket for private testing or mistakenly trust the schools’ view that students will “grow out of it.” I particularly liked Boas’ comment that "true educational equality doesn't exist for those who learn differently” as it seems especially true in these COVID times. Sadly, “children who experience reading difficulties by third grade are four times more likely to leave school” and The Literacy Project “reports that three out of five people in US prisons can’t read, and 85 percent of juvenile offenders have trouble reading.” These statistics, accompanied by data on funding shortfalls, delayed intervention, and outdated or limited training, are a call to action. Boas has written a power book full of practical advice (e.g., figure out who is writing your child’s IEP goals) for parents like her, but she also invites us all to “join the dyslexia fight club,” helping to speak for parents and students who may “lack emotional support, knowledge, or resources” to successfully meet this challenge. We all need to do more to make education equitable.