Members of the Senate education committee sparred today over an amendment that would give teachers extra training on teaching students with dyslexia. The amendment eventually failed by two votes in the 22-member committee.

The amendment would not mandate that federal funding go towards extra training, but would allow states and local school districts, if they so choose, to use federal funds on training toward identifying dyslexia and other specific learning disabilities. Its critics argued that all disabilities, not just specific learning disabilities, should get the support the amendment called for. For example, autism and attention-deficit disorder do not fall under the category of specific learning disabilities.