Advocates for Children of New York works on behalf of children who are at greatest risk for school-based discrimination and/or academic failure due to poverty, disability, race, ethnicity, immigrant or English Language Learner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, homelessness, or involvement in the foster care or juvenile justice systems.
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Spotlight
AFC’s Fiscal Year 2020 City Budget Priorities
03.20.2019 | Click on the links below to learn more about each of AFC's advocacy priorities for the fiscal year 2020 City budget. On March 20, 2019, we testified [PDF] before the City Council Committee on Education on the preliminary budget and the importance of increasing funding for school social workers, direct mental health... Read more
AFC Testifies on the New York City FY 2020 Preliminary Education Budget
03.20.2019 | Today, AFC is testifying before the City Council Committee on Education on the importance of increasing funding for several education priorities, including school social workers, direct mental health support for students, educational support for students who are homeless and students in foster care, and preschool special... Read more
Decision Finds Failure to Uphold Rights of Students with Disabilities at Success Academy Charter Schools
02.27.2019 | In a decision received this week, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) found that Success Academy Charter Schools and the New York City Department of Education (DOE) violated the civil rights of students with disabilities. The decision [PDF] was issued in response to a complaint [PDF] that Advocates for Children of New... Read more
AFC Testifies on ThriveNYC and Meeting the Needs of Students with Mental Health Challenges
02.27.2019 | Today, Advocates for Children is testifying before the New York City Council Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction regarding the gap in access to direct mental health services and behavior supports for students with significant emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs. Read our testimony [PDF] Read more
AFC in the News
NYC Shelving Troubled Special Education Data System
03.11.2019 | Education Week | Maggie Moroff, the special education policy coordinator for New York's Advocates for Children, said the program "didn't allow anyone to know if any one student was getting their services in a timely or complete manner." Parents were sometimes waiting weeks to see updated individualized education programs for... Read more
NYC homeless students stiffed by Mayor de Blasio's budget
03.08.2019 | New York Daily News | The mayor’s $92 billion budget — unveiled in February — is the biggest in the city’s history, and it comes at a time when there are more homeless students than ever, making it vital that the mayor fund the social workers, said Advocates for Children of New York Policy Director Randi Levine. “We don’t... Read more
State faults Success Academy, NYC education department for violating civil rights of students with disabilities
02.27.2019 | Chalkbeat New York | Success Academy charter schools and the New York City education department have violated the civil rights of students with special needs, an investigation by state officials found. The charter network failed to provide required services to students, changed the special education placement of children without... Read more
State: Success Academy, city flouted rights of students with disabilities
02.27.2019 | Politico New York | The state Education Department has determined that Success Academy and the city's Department of Education violated the civil rights of students with disabilities following an investigation into allegations made by the group, Advocates for Children of New York... "The decision reaffirms what we knew to be true... Read more