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Julian’s Story
Julian is a 3-year-old preschooler with delays in his language skills, but the DOE failed to provide recommended services.
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Page: Who We AreWho We AreAt Advocates for Children of New York (AFC), we are dedicated exclusively to protecting every child’s right to an education, focusing on students from low-income backgrounds who are struggling in school or experiencing school discrimination of any kind.For 50 years, our staff of attorneys...
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Blog: New Analysis Shows New Yorkers Will Lose Chance for High School Diploma Unless State Takes Action06.15.2020 | Today, Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) released a new policy brief calling on the New York State Education Department (NYSED) to ensure that students aging out of school this month can return to high school next year so they do not lose their chance to earn a diploma. With the...
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06.15.2020 | POLITICO | "The young people aging out of school in two weeks are the same student populations who have been hardest hit by the pandemic itself and by the challenges of online learning," said Ashley Grant, a supervising staff attorney for AFC and coordinator of the statewide Coalition...
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06.09.2020 | Today, Advocates for Children joined more than 80 other education, social service, and civil rights organizations in calling on the entire New York City Congressional delegation to invest $205B in public education in the next COVID response bill. As organizations working with...
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06.06.2020 | NY Daily News | “Without substantial federal support, the current crisis will have lifelong consequences for a generation of children whose education has been interrupted for reasons beyond their control,” wrote the education advocacy group Advocates for Children, which was joined in...
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06.03.2020 | As an organization that advocates for racial justice, we are pained and outraged by the unconscionable killing of George Floyd by the Minnesota Police Department and the systemic racism that has taken the lives of so many members of the Black community.Every day in our work, we see the...
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05.26.2020 | CNN Español | Un grupo específico de estudiantes de Nueva York se ha visto afectado por la pandemia: los alumnos de secundaria que sobrepasan la edad regular de graduación. María Santana habla con jóvenes que nos cuentan cómo los cambios en el sistema de educación por el covid-19...
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05.27.2020 | Today, AFC is testifying 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...
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Page: Leadership & StaffLeadership & StaffKim SweetExecutive Director Matthew LenaghanDeputy DirectorShivani AlamoStaff Attorney, School Justice ProjectKaren AlvesSenior Education Specialist, HelplineDiana AragundiStaff Attorney, Immigrant Students' Rights ProjectMichael AthyStaff Attorney, Charter Schools...
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05.21.2020 | Today, AFC is testifying 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...
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Page: Support Our WorkSupport Our WorkEvery child in New York City has a right to learn!For almost 50 years, AFC has protected that right for the children and youth most likely to fall through the cracks of our education system because of their poverty, race, disability, language barriers, homelessness, or involvement...
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THANK YOU TO OUR 2020 SPRING BENEFIT SPONSORS!On behalf of our clients, our dedicated Board of Directors, and the AFC staff, thank you for your support. We are so grateful to our community of partners, who are committed to ensuring that AFC can continue to fight for the education rights of our...
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Page: Naomi's Story5-year-old Naomi had been struggling in kindergarten, and her family was hopeful she would soon begin receiving special education supports. But when schools closed in March, her mother was surprised to find that she was being asked to withdraw her request for extra help. Early this year...
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Blog: In a jump, 18% of NYC students will need summer school to be ready for the fall, officials say05.19.2020 | Chalkbeat NY | “As the DOE prepares for remote summer school, it must redouble its engagement efforts, providing individualized support to address the barriers to remote learning that led to the need for summer school for many students in the first place,” said Randi Levine, the...
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Jane Stern, a founding member, former Executive Director, and steadfast friend of Advocates for Children of New York, died on October 25, 2019 at the age of 86. Jane was a tireless advocate for social justice in New York City, who dedicated her entire legal and professional career to serving the...
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Page: Trainings & WorkshopsTrainings & WorkshopsAdvocates for Children of New York conducts hundreds of trainings and workshops year-round, providing parents and professionals with the most up-to-date information so that they are equipped to advocate on behalf of their children. Upcoming WebinarsClick on an upcoming...
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Page: Kalilah's StoryKalilah's StoryAt the end of eighth grade, 14-year-old Kalilah—who has a learning disability and language impairment—was reading on a second-to-third grade level. Kalilah had been receiving services for her disabilities since she was a toddler, but continued to struggle in her public school...
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Page: Mia's StoryMia's StoryMia at her new school riding a bike, in music class, and using an adaptive keyboard for the very first timeMia, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, was previously attending a District 75 school that the NYC Department of Education (DOE) had identified as accessible. Mia was...
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05.19.2020 | In response to a complaint filed by Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) and New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI), the United States Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and the New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE) have entered into a...
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05.15.2020 | Chalkbeat NY | “For these families, these last few weeks have been exponentially more difficult,” said Maggie Moroff, a disability policy expert at Advocates for Children. “The parents are being parent, teacher, service provider, healthcare worker to their children right now at...