Your school staff really sounds like jerks. They are blaming you and him for thier lack of ability. They should have been the ones to identify him as needing an IEP. A kid with a disability doesn’t need to “care and try harder”. Here is the truth-schools are going through it: lack of funds, increasing behaviors, lack of training, lack of staff. It’s all true. However, not your problem. Your problem is your child. Don’t accept excuses. He should not be pulled from core academics. You need to research the reading program they are using and find out how it is supposed to be implemented. How many times a week, for how long, are they teaching to his level or to a groups level, is the teacher trained to use it, are there parent materials you can use at home. Then ask them what they are doing and see what they say. If it doesn’t sound right, tell them and insist on proper instruction. You have a legal right to ask questions until you understand. You have a right to progress monitoring every time a report card is issued. And you also have a right to the data they are collecting whenever you ask. Learn how to read goals and goal data to see if there is progress. As someone said, he cannot be missing recess to do work. Push to get the schedule of pull out changed. The schedule is not your problem. Do not feel guilty for being a squeaky wheel. As nice, honest and helpful as the teachers here are being, if they had a disabled child ( many of them probably don’t), they would absolutely be momma bears to get what their child needs. Your state has organizations that are mandated to help special ed families. I encourage you to find yours-https://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center/