\u201cWhen your child has dyslexia, you become an activist because you see the injustice so clearly,\u201d Toomey told the crowd afterward.<\/p>\n
Joining her on stage was Naomi Pe\u00f1a, one of the mothers featured in the film and a co-founder of the Literacy Academy Collective<\/a>. Pe\u00f1a began the post-screening panel discussion with a simple show of hands: Who in the audience, she asked, had dyslexia, suspected it or knew someone who did?\u00a0<\/p>\n Nearly every hand went up.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI want people to be seen,\u201d Pe\u00f1a said, scanning the crowd. \u201cWe are asking children to do something really hard \u2014 and the adults aren\u2019t giving them the proper instruction. Yet we hold them to the same standard as everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n She explained why her group insisted the new school be public, not charter or private.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen it\u2019s part of the public school system, it\u2019s owned by the public,\u201d she said. \u201cYou\u2019re putting a stake in the ground and saying, \u2018We\u2019re going to support these children.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n The audience nodded as she described how trained teachers, trauma-informed support and explicit reading instruction can change outcomes.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOne school wasn\u2019t enough, so we opened a second school,\u201d Pe\u00f1a said. \u201cThe goal is five or six.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The screening and conversation unspooled amid the state takeover of Fort Worth ISD<\/a>, where early reading has become a top priority<\/a>. Panelists said the film\u2019s themes \u2014 advocacy, urgency and evidence-based instruction \u2014 are the same challenges local families face.<\/p>\n Panelists reminded attendees that parents in Texas have a right to request dyslexia evaluations, and districts must respond within 45 days<\/a>. Not every state has that protection<\/a>.<\/p>\n James, a consultant for the Sid W. Richardson Foundation, framed the evening as a bridge between empathy and action.<\/p>\n And when Pe\u00f1a was asked what advice she\u2019d give parents in Fort Worth, she didn\u2019t hesitate.<\/p>\n \u201cYour story matters,\u201d she said. \u201cBe \u2018those moms.\u2019 Be relentless. It\u2019s exhausting and not fun, but that\u2019s the only way you\u2019re going to get this done.\u201d<\/p>\n She urged families to start small \u2014 with two or three parents at a table \u2014 and focus on shared goals.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe fight so hard to find differences so we don\u2019t have to talk to each other,\u201d Pe\u00f1a said. \u201cBut what we\u2019ve discovered is that we\u2019re actually more alike than you imagine. And if we agree on literacy, then we can work together.\u201d<\/p>\n James closed the night by inviting attendees to volunteer with Reading Partners North Texas<\/a> and Literacy United<\/a>, nonprofits that pair adults with struggling readers. Both organizations had tables set up near the theater exit.<\/p>\n As the crowd filed out, several parents lingered \u2014 some talking next steps, others taking photos with Toomey and Pe\u00f1a.\u00a0<\/p>\n For many, the message was simple: Awareness isn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n Disclosure: The Sid W. Richardson Foundation is a financial supporter<\/a> of the Fort Worth Report. News decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or @matthewsgroi1<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n
![\"Creative](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cc-by-nd-4.0.png\"\/)
<\/a><\/p>\n