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Paige, a bright third grade student on the autism spectrum, sat at home for nearly two months waiting for a school placement that would meet her needs. 

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03.18.2024 | Today, AFC is testifying at the NYC Council Committee on Education's Preliminary Budget hearing. Numerous education programs, services, and staff positions are currently at risk of deep cuts as a result of the expiration of federal stimulus funding, the expiration of one-year city funding, and the Preliminary Budget cut of more than $700 million. As an organization that works every day with families of students who face some of the biggest barriers to educational success, we are extremely concerned. Read our testimony [PDF]

01.12.2024 | In response to Mayor Adams’ education budget announcement, Kim Sweet, Executive Director of Advocates for Children of New York, issued the following statement: 

Picking up the cost of Summer Rising as federal COVID-19 funds expire and reversing previously announced cuts to community schools are positive steps that will allow students to get much-needed support, but the City must go further. 

The Mayor is still proposing to cut more than $500 million in city funding from New York City Public Schools.

On top of those cuts to city funding, we are deeply concerned about the looming expiration of federal COVID-19 stimulus funds, which are supporting many critical education initiatives that will still be just as needed when federal dollars run dry this year. While we are pleased that the City will continue funding Summer Rising, there is a slew of additional education programs and supports funded with these expiring dollars that need sustained funding—ranging from school social workers and psychologists to 3-K and preschool special education programs to shelter-based coordinators to bilingual programming to literacy initiatives to community schools.

More than 160 organizations have issued a call-to-action about the importance of sustaining these education programs, noting: “We are at a critical juncture. Our elected leaders must choose between allowing these programs to end on their watch—dealing a massive setback to public education—or taking action to identify new funding sources so students can continue receiving critical supports and services. We are counting on our elected leaders to sustain essential education programs and build on the progress made, leaving a lasting impact on the lives of students for years to come.”

This is no time to be complacent. Unless elected leaders act, these programs will be rolled back or eliminated. We need the City and State to make a substantial investment in education to continue important programs – especially those programs serving students with the greatest needs – as federal stimulus funding expires.

Read the press statement as a PDF

12.14.2023 | Today, AFC is testifying before the New York City Council Committee on Education & Committee on State and Federal Legislation regarding the new phonics based curriculum and dyslexia screening in NYC Public Schools. We are urging the Council to remain steadfast in the commitment to ensuring that all schools are using reading curricula with proven effectiveness and to push the school system to provide all students—including those who have disabilities like dyslexia—with the intervention and support they need. Read our testimony [PDF]

12.11.2023 | Today, AFC is testifying before the New York City Council's Committee on Finance regarding the November Fianancial Plan, and our concerns about the impact of the $547 million cut to New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) this year – and the more than $600 million cut planned for next year. 

In addition to concerns about cuts to programs like community schools and 3-K, we are already seeing the impact of the hiring freeze and vacancy reduction. While central staff is needed to operate the school system for all students, staff working outside of schools are particularly important to support students with the greatest needs. Cutting hundreds of NYCPS staff members means it takes longer for immigrant students to get a school placement, for students who are homeless to get a bus route, and for students with disabilities to get services. The City has legal obligations to these students that cannot be ignored.

Read our testimony [PDF]

11.29.2023 | Today, AFC is testifying before the New York City Council Committee on Education and Committee on Immigration to discuss newcomer immigrant students in New York City public schools, and highlight concerns and recommendations based on our work on the ground providing assistance to many newcomer immigrant families in shelter on education-related issues. Read our testimony [PDF]

10.25.2023 | Today, AFC is testifying before the NYC Council Committees on Education and Public Safety in support of Int. No. 0003-2022, which would regulate the NYPD’s response to students in emotional crisis within public schools. This bill is an important step toward ensuring that our young people in crisis are met with a trauma-informed and healing response, not with the threat of law enforcement and handcuffs. 

However, while we support Int 0003-2022, AFC has also been calling on the City to shift funding from the NYPD to instead provide needed mental health and social emotional support for students; we are not advocating for additional funding to be allocated to train law enforcement officers to respond to students in emotional crisis. In order to ensure this bill truly fulfills its promise to limit law enforcement intervention and handcuffing when a student is in emotional crisis, the City must invest sufficient resources to ensure that every school can effectively support students’ social- emotional and behavioral needs with a trauma-informed approach. Read our testimony [PDF]

10.16.2023 | Today, AFC sent a letter to Mayor Adams emphasizing, in advance of education budget cuts being planned for November, that the City’s obligation to uphold students’ legal rights remains unchanged. As the budget process moves forward, the City must ensure that its choices do not impede its ability to uphold students’ rights and comply with federal and state law, including special education law. Read the letter [PDF]

thumbnail image of first page of call to action09.21.2023 | Today, more than 150 organizations are calling on elected leaders to sustain critical education programs currently supported by temporary federal COVID-19 stimulus funding set to run dry in June 2024.

Over the last few years, New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) has benefitted from billions of dollars in federal stimulus funding. NYCPS has used this funding not only to address temporary pandemic-related challenges, but also to stave off cuts to existing initiatives and to launch and expand a range of essential programs to meet needs that existed long before the pandemic and will remain long after the federal COVID-19 relief funds expire. For example, this year federal dollars are being used for 3-K, preschool special education, Summer Rising, 450 school social workers, school nurses, community schools, restorative justice, 60 school psychologists, 75 coordinators working in homeless shelters, bilingual staff, translation and interpretation, and dyslexia and literacy initiatives.

Federal funding expires next year and there is not yet a plan to sustain these critical programs and supports; defunding them would disproportionately hurt students from low-income families, students of color, and the students with the greatest needs. The threat to these programs existed even before Mayor Adams’ recent announcement of a 14% cut to each agency, including NYCPS.

The call-to-action notes the urgency of the situation: “We are at a critical juncture. Our elected leaders must choose between allowing these programs to end on their watch—dealing a massive setback to public education—or taking action to identify new funding sources so students can continue receiving critical supports and services. We are counting on our elected leaders to sustain essential education programs and build on the progress made, leaving a lasting impact on the lives of students for years to come.”

The organizations—which include civil rights organizations, social service providers, early childhood programs, advocacy organizations, and groups representing students, parents, and educators—are launching a campaign calling on elected leaders to save these programs.

Read the call-to-action [PDF]
Read the call-to-action in Spanish [PDF]
View the press release as a PDF

09.07.2023 | Stay up-to-date with the latest news about transportation, enrollment, and other back to school issues, and access key resources, including our Back To School Troubleshooting webinar. Visit AFC's Back To School Hub

08.29.2023 | We've updated our annual factsheet for families of students with disabilities, which covers issues NYC families often encounter at the start of the school year, including enrollment, busing, placement, and more. The factsheet is available in English and Spanish. We will be updating the factsheet throughout the fall as more information becomes available. 

Get the factsheet in English [PDF] or Spanish