AFC and the ARISE Coalition (coordinated by AFC) testified before the City Council Committee on Education on the continued work needed to strengthen the DOE’s academic recovery plans this year. While we appreciate that the City is using this funding for some important initiatives, we worry there is still inadequate detail about how the funding will be used, inadequate funding for key priorities, and too much discretion and responsibility left to individual schools that already have their hands full reopening schools and keeping school communities safe.

AFC testified before the New York State Senate Education Committee on the DOE’s use of increased state and federal education funding; specifically, how the funding is being used to meet the needs of students with disabilities, English Language Learners, and students experiencing homelessness—students who were hit particularly hard by the closure of schools.

This policy brief highlights disparities in school attendance during the pandemic and calls on the City to invest in an ambitious Education Recovery Plan that ensures all students can receive the academic and social-emotional support they need as they return to school.

With the federal government having approved the largest one-time investment in education in our nation’s history, NYC needs an ambitious education initiative to pave the way to hope and opportunity for this generation of students. Such a plan must invest resources in academic support, mental health support, and outreach and engagement. It must be targeted to assist students disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, including the provision of specialized instruction and support where needed. This plan outlines our recommendations for steps the City should take.

AFC testified before the New York City Council Committee on Education and Committee on Health regarding the reopening of City schools. As the City continues working on the health and safety measures needed to protect school communities from COVID-19 this year, the City must also redouble its outreach efforts and provide individualized support to families of students who are not regularly engaging in remote learning.

يُظهر موجز السياسات الصادر في يونيو 2020 أن هناك ما يقرب من 3700 طالب في ولاية نيويورك سيتخرجون من المدرسة هذا العام ويفقدون فرصتهم في الحصول على الدبلوم. إنهم طلاب ملونون بشكل غير متناسب، وطلاب ذوي إعاقة، ومتعلمي اللغة الإنجليزية. ويدعو الموجز وزارة التعليم بالولاية إلى إصدار توجيهات لتوجيه المناطق للسماح لجميع الطلاب الذين يتقدمون في السن خارج المدرسة دون الحصول على شهادة بالعودة إلى المدرسة الثانوية في العام المقبل.

AFC testified before the City Council Committee on Education about remote learning and the impact of COVID-19 on the City’s schools, focusing on the challenges our clients have experienced and the need for the DOE to address the barriers students are facing so they can participate in remote summer school.

AFC and the ARISE Coalition (coordinated by AFC) testified before the New York City Council Committee on Finance about the importance of rejecting proposed cuts to schools and investing in education initiatives that will help students get needed support when they return to school, including funding for preschool special education classes, direct mental health support for students, guaranteed transportation for students in foster care, support for English Language Learners, and more.

Advocates for Children joined more than 30 other signatories in providing feedback and recommendations on the DOE’s proposed grading policy for the 2019-20 school year. In light of the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19-related school closures, the letter urges the DOE to give course credit to all students this semester in lieu of a grading system, and to design a separate system to provide needed support to students who have fallen behind.

AFC testified at the New York State Joint Legislative Hearing on the 2020–2021 Elementary and Secondary Education Budget proposal, urging legislators to fully fund Foundation Aid; increase investments in targeted areas such as preschool special education programs, support for Multilingual Learners, and positive approaches to discipline; and reject the harmful special education waiver proposal.