Chapter 4: Righting the Wrongs in “Right to Read” Legislation: Navigating State Policy Mandates

The centuries-long “reading wars” have ignited policy, public, and professional debates about reading instruction. Recently, policymakers in states throughout the US have required the use of the Science of Reading (SoR) as an evidence‑based foundation for teaching children to read. While there is agreement among researchers and practitioners that SoR encompasses a broad range of strategies for teaching children to read, SoR‑based curricula have emphasized phonics‑based reading instruction for improving assessed reading proficiency. In the state that is the locale for this case study, a “Right to Read” law requires all districts to choose from among a handful of SoR‑based reading programs approved for reading instruction in grades K‑3. This case describes the experiences of Superintendent Margaret Huertas, whose district has applied for and been denied a waiver from this requirement, despite the district’s students’ continued growth in reading scores on state tests. It considers the barriers Dr. Huertas encounters when policy conflicts with effective, equitable practices, and explores the challenges superintendents face in balancing the responsibility they have to serve their communities with the implications of navigating prescriptive state policy mandates.