The “For the Good of the Cause” portion of the November 13th East Brunswick Board of Education meeting once again brought the district’s literacy struggles into sharp focus — and added a heartbreaking special-education issue that left many in the room stunned. What unfolded was a series of emotional, deeply personal testimonies from parents who are asking for the same thing: transparency, equity, and compassion.
Below is a journalistic look at what was said, why it matters, and what these parents asked of the district.
A Familiar Topic Returns: Literacy Pilot Concerns Resurface
Literacy was front and center, echoing concerns raised earlier this fall.
Dr. Maggie Georges spoke first, and she did not mince words.
She described the district’s new reading pilot — including Amplify — as something families were “left in the dark” about.
“It took a lot of time, effort, and speaking to multiple people to even gather the limited information I have,” she said. “There has been no clear communication about this pilot or the district literacy plan.”
A parent of three children in grades K–3, Dr. Georges said she was alarmed when their pilot assessment indicators suggested they were reading below grade level. Parents received the results, she explained, but no meaningful explanation of what they meant, how accurate they were, or what came next.
And then came the part that frustrated many listening:
“I was taken aback when I saw the agenda and saw that the district is approving only one hour of teacher training for a brand-new reading program.”
She asked a series of pointed questions that the district has yet to answer publicly:
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How will teachers actually be trained?
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Why is training time so limited?
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What is the timeline for district-wide implementation?
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Why was an outdated curriculum left in place for years?
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What supports are in place now for students flagged as below grade level?
For Dr. Georges, this isn’t about a pilot. It’s about trust.
“Families choose to live here and pay the taxes we do because we expect a high-quality education.”
Tap the video to hear each speaker’s full comment and understand exactly what was brought to the board.
The Matthew Effect: A Warning About Widening Gaps
Next, Michelle Bethe took the microphone. Her comments were just as urgent — but focused on the long-term consequences of poor literacy instruction.
She spoke about the Matthew Effect, a well-documented pattern in education where early readers soar and struggling readers fall further behind.
“Students who learn to read early and well continue to grow rapidly. But students who struggle fall further behind — not because they lack intelligence, but because they’re not getting equal access to the very tool that unlocks learning.”
Bethe highlighted a critical issue:
Students in resource room settings were excluded from the district’s literacy pilots. They remain on programs like LLI (Leveled Literacy Intervention), which recent research has shown to be ineffective at helping students catch up.
She warned that by middle school, the consequences are severe:
“A student reading below grade level isn’t just struggling to read the words — they’re struggling to access the content itself.”
Her message was clear: literacy is equity. And the longer the district waits to adopt structured, evidence-based reading instruction for all students, the wider the opportunity gap becomes.
Tap the video to hear each speaker’s full comment and understand exactly what was brought to the board.
A Parent’s Plea for Inclusion: “Where Is the Compassion?”
The final speaker was Kevin Lynn, and the room’s tone shifted as he described the situation facing his preschool-aged son, a child in the district’s special education program.
For reasons tied to the district’s scheduling change, special-education preschoolers are now excluded from the township aftercare program — while general-education preschoolers are not.
“These are kids who would arguably benefit the most from socialization and inclusion,” Lynn said.
To avoid disrupting their son’s therapy hours, the family found an inclusive daycare willing to let their privately funded ABA therapists continue working with him. The district would not have to pay a dollar.
All they needed was transportation.
The request was denied.
Lynn read a portion of the district’s response — an email that stunned many listening:
“Your request for transportation is denied… this matter is now closed. Further communication seeking to debate this policy will not receive a response.”
The lack of empathy, he said, was crushing.
“We didn’t write to a corporation. We wrote to our child’s district.
If this is how the board responds to families like ours, refusing to even consider a policy that excludes the most vulnerable students, then this board has lost its way.”
It was one of the most emotional moments of the night.
Tap the video to hear each speaker’s full comment and understand exactly what was brought to the board.
Three Voices, One Message
Although the topics differed — literacy instruction, equity gaps, and special-education inclusion — the underlying theme was the same:
Parents are asking for transparency, empathy, and urgency.
The concerns raised weren’t small or abstract. They touched on:
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whether children are learning to read
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whether struggling readers are receiving effective support
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whether students with disabilities are being included rather than excluded
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whether communication from the district reflects respect for the families it serves
And once again, literacy dominated the conversation — a sign that parents are not satisfied with the district’s rollout, explanations, or support systems.
East Brunswick is a high-performing district with high expectations. The parents at the microphone simply asked the district to meet those expectations with clarity, compassion, and a real plan.
