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
Response to City’s Announcement of Plans to Support Students with Dyslexia
05.12.2022 | Kim Sweet, Executive Director of Advocates for Children of New York (AFC), issued the following statement in response to Mayor Adams and Chancellor Banks’ announcement of plans to support students with dyslexia: For decades, AFC has been advocating for low-income students who are struggling with reading and have been unable to... Continue reading
New Report Highlights Next Steps for Revamping Reading Instruction in New York City: 70 Orgs Join Call to Collective Action
05.02.2022 | Today, Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) released a new report, Reaching Every Reader: The Path Forward, summarizing key takeaways from last December’s Literacy Summit--a day-long virtual event jointly hosted by AFC, the NYC Department of Education (DOE), and the ARISE Coalition—and articulating a clear vision for improving... Continue reading
30 Organizations Call on NYC to Increase Educational Supports in Shelters
04.29.2022 | More than 30 organizations released a letter calling on Mayor Adams and Chancellor Banks to use federal COVID-19 relief funding specifically designated for students in temporary housing to hire 150 shelter-based Department of Education Community Coordinators. Community Coordinators can provide crucial supports for students in... Continue reading
AFC Testifies on the Educational Needs of Students in Foster Care
04.20.2022 | Today, AFC is testifying before the City Council Committee on Education regarding the educational needs of students in foster care. We are urging the City to fully staff a small DOE team focused on students in foster care and guarantee bus service so students don’t have to transfer schools when placed in foster care. Read our... Continue reading
AFC in the News
Mayor Adams Unveils Program to Address Dyslexia in N.Y.C. Schools
05.12.2022 | The New York Times | The new policy was met with applause by a group who has called for reading reforms in the city. “The plans announced today could have a transformative impact if implemented well,” Kim Sweet, the executive director for Advocates for Children of New York, said in a statement, adding that the group looked... Continue reading
New York parents and advocates are speaking out against labeling students ‘emotionally disturbed’
05.12.2022 | Prism Reports | “It’s overly broad. It’s subjective, it’s vague, and once you have subjectivity, you have a greater likelihood of bias,” said Dawn Yuster, Esq., director of the School Justice Project for Advocates for Children. Last year, Advocates for Children released an update to their report, “Police Response to Students in... Continue reading
NYC will screen public school students for dyslexia for first time
05.12.2022 | Gothamist | Last week, a report from Advocates for Children called on the education department to urgently revamp literacy instruction across the public school system. Fewer than 47% of all third through eighth graders, and only 36% of Black and Hispanic students, scored proficient in reading on 2019 state tests, statistics the... Continue reading
In a seismic shift, NYC to mandate elementary schools use phonics-based curriculum
05.12.2022 | Chalkbeat NY | The plans “could have a transformative impact if implemented well,” said Kim Sweet, of Advocates for Children, which has spent decades fighting for low-income students who are struggling with reading and are unable to be supported in public schools. Her organization looked forward to “digging into the details” and... Continue reading