Policy & Initiatives

Public Comments & Testimony

Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) has our finger on the pulse of important education issues and education policy trends that affect children in New York City and New York State.  We are on the forefront of pushing to improve education policy, so that all children have access to a quality education.

Below are AFC’s most recent public comments and testimonies:

2013

AFC Testifies before OCFS on the Child Care Plan for 2014-15, April 26, 2013
AFC testified before the state Office of Children and Family Services hearing on the child care plan for 2014-15, arguing that our leaders must provide more funding to increase access to quality early childhood education programs and ensure that children with disabilities have access to those programs....View testimony

AFC Comments on Education Components of Close to Home Draft Plan, April 23, 2013
AFC submitted comments on the New York City Administration for Children’s Services’ proposed plan for limited secure placement of youth as part of phase two of the Close to Home juvenile justice reform initiative.....View comments

AFC Testifies on the Importance of Improving School Climate and Safety, April 15, 2013
AFC provided testimony at the City Council Oversight Hearing examining School Climate and Safety. AFC's testimony highlighted the NYC Department of Education's failure to provide mandated behavioral supports for students with disabilities as well as its failure to implement positive behavior modification programs for all students for decreasing students suspensions and improving school climate and culture in schools.....View testimony

AFC Testifies about the Fiscal Year 2014 Preliminary Budget, March 18, 2013
AFC testified before the City Council General Welfare Committee to urge city leaders to reject proposed cuts to early learning programs in New York City.... View testimony

AFC Testifies about the Bus Strike, February 8, 2013
AFC testified before the Education Committee of the New York City Council about the cost of pupil transportation in NYC and the impact of the bus strike on the families we serve. AFC has heard from countless families struggling to get their children to and from school during the strike – a strike which for three weeks now has left great numbers of students with special education needs without the free, appropriate, public education they are entitled to under law....View testimony 

AFC Submits Testimony for the Joint Legislative Public Hearing on 2013-2014 Executive Budget Proposal: Health, January 30, 2013
AFC submitted testimony urging the New York State Legislature to ensure that the state budget protects access to high-quality Early Intervention services that are driven by children’s needs, not by their health insurance coverage....View testimony 

2012

AFC Testifies about the Department of Education's Networks for School Support, October 25, 2012
AFC testified before the Education Committee of the New York City Council, expressing concerns about the DOE's network-based structure for supporting the City's schools....View testimony 

AFC Comments on Proposed State Early Intervention Regulations, October 18, 2012
AFC submitted public comments opposing regulations proposed by the New York State Department of Health that would prohibit the same agency from evaluating and providing services to a child and family in the Early Intervention Program.  The proposed regulations would make it challenging to serve English Language Learners and children with certain specific needs....View comments

AFC Testifies about Special Education Transportation, October 10, 2012
AFC testified before the New York City Council Education Committee, expressing concerns about the transportation of students with disabilities....View testimony

AFC Testifies about the NYC Early Intervention Program, October 3, 2012
AFC testified before the New York City Council Committee on Mental Health, expressing concerns about implementation of the NYC Early Intervention Program's embedded coaching initiative.... View testimony

AFC Testifies about the DOE's Corrective Action Plan for ELL Students, September 27, 2012
AFC testified before the New York City Council's Committee on Education and Committee on Immigration regarding oversight of immigrant students in the NYC public schools and the DOE’s Corrective Action Plan for ELL students....View testimony

AFC Testifies about Mandatory Kindergarten and the Special Education Reform, June 12, 2012
AFC testified before the City Council Committee on Education about the importance of mandatory kindergarten and the need to address concerns regarding the city’s special education reform...View testimony

ARISE Coalition Testimony on Special Education Reform, June 12, 2012
The ARISE Coalition, coordinated by AFC, testified before the City Council Committee on Education urging the DOE to address concerns about implementation of the on-going special education reform...View testimony 

AFC Testifies Against Proposed Cuts to Early Childhood Education and After-School Programs, June 6, 2012
AFC testified before the New York City Council Committee on Finance, urging Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council to reject the devastating proposal to cut 47,000 children from early childhood education and after-school programs...View testimony

AFC Testifies Regarding the New School Discipline Code, June 5, 2012
AFC testified before the Office of School and Youth Development, New York City Department of Education regarding the importance to changes in the discipline code that would lead away from schools' use of punishment and exclusion and towards positive, school-wide approaches to discipline and safety that improve school climate, reduce conflict, and increase learning.... View testimony

AFC’s Testimony  Delivered to the New York City Council Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Disability Services and the Committee on Education Regarding School-Based Mental Health Services, May 1, 2012
AFC testified before the New York City Council on the negative consequences that the city-wide shortage of school-based mental health services has on schools and their students.... View testimony

AFC’s Testimony  Delivered to the New York City Council Committee on Education Regarding Co-Location of Public Schools, April 19, 2012
AFC testified before the New York City Council Committee on Education on the school co-location process and the impact it is having on students with disabilities.... View testimony

AFC’s Testimony  Delivered to the New York City Council Committee on General Welfare Regarding the Fiscal year 2013 Preliminary Budget, March 29, 2012
AFC testified before the New York City Council Committee on General Welfare in opposition to the shortsighted, massive cuts to early childhood education programs proposed in Mayor Bloomberg’s Preliminary Budget.... View testimony

AFC’s Testimony  Before the City Council Committees on Education and Finance regarding the oversight of Medicaid claims for special education related services by the Department of Education, March 1, 2012
AFC’s testimony  before the City Council Committees on Education and Finance regarding the oversight of Medicaid claims for special education related services by the Department of Education.... View testimony

AFC's Letter to the New York State Assembly Regarding Proposed Budget Cuts, February 14, 2012
AFC urges legislators to protect access to high-quality Early Intervention (EI) services and ensure that EI services are driven by children’s needs, not by their health insurance coverage.... Read letter

Statement by the ARISE Coalition about the Comptroller for the City of New York's Audit Report on the Procurement of Direct Student Services by the Department of Education, January 30, 2012
The report concludes that the New York City Department of Education (DOE), by its own accounting, has failed to provide related services to more than tens of thousands of students with disabilities in New York City.... Read statement

AFC’s Public Comment on New York State Education Department’s (SED) Draft Request for Flexibility under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind (ESEA/NCLB), January 30, 2012
AFC is encouraged by New York’s efforts to move away, however slightly, from a largely punitive school and district accountability system and toward providing increased support to districts and schools to improve the quality of teaching and learning. AFC outlines its concerns and makes specific recommendations for meaningful accountability.... Read entire public comment

2011

Testimony delivered to the New York State Senate Standing Committee on Children and Families, December 12, 2011
AFC's testimony on challenges facing the child care community.... View testimony

Testimony delivered to the New York City Council's Committee on Education on the New York City Department of Education (DOE) School Suspension Data, November 30, 2011
AFC's testimony regarding the critical importance of the New York City Department of Education implementing more constructive approaches to school discipline.... View testimony

Public Comment to the New York State Education Department on the Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential, November 9, 2011
Comments of the Coalition for Multiple Pathways to a Diploma, coordinated by AFC on the elimination of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) diploma and the proposed Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential.... Read comments

Testimony delivered to the New York City Council's General Welfare, Education and Youth Services Committees, October 18, 2011
AFC's testimony regarding oversight and coordination between NYC Department of Homeless Services, Department of Education, and Department of Youth and Community Development to ensure homeless children and youth are properly educated.... View testimony