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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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Blog: NYC is using one-time COVID money for a lot of education programs. What happens when it dries up?01.19.2023 | Chalkbeat NY | In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, New York City’s education department received a massive windfall: more than $7 billion in federal relief funding to help reopen school buildings and address lost instruction. But city officials have used a significant chunk...
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01.19.2023 | Chalkbeat NY | Still, the data shows strong signs that “students who disproportionately struggle with high stakes standardized tests are disproportionately impacted” when those exams are no longer required to graduate, Sarah Part, a senior policy analyst with Advocates For Children,...
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01.19.2023 | Gothamist | The analysis by Advocates for Children of New York found that high-priority initiatives – such as support for students with dyslexia and additional bilingual programs as asylum-seeking students enroll in city schools – are funded with the federal money set to run out in...
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01.19.2023 | NY Daily News | That program is one of more than a dozen critical education initiatives that are vulnerable to cutbacks or elimination after the temporary funding runs out and the city hits a so-called fiscal cliff, according to a brief from Advocates for Children released Thursday....
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01.25.2023 | News 12 Bronx | The report published by the nonprofit Advocates for Children noted foster care students were twice as likely to get failing scores on state exams and between 80-85% were not proficient in math and reading. It also says only 40% of foster care students who are...
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01.19.2023 | Education Week | New York City alone will have to find hundreds of millions of dollars from elsewhere to keep ESSER-funded programs like literacy screenings, mental health services, and expanded pre-K options, according to a report from the nonprofit Advocates for Children of New...
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01.26.2023 | The Imprint | To address the many challenges foster youth are currently facing in the public school system, Advocates for Children listed numerous recommendations for the city’s new foster care division within the education department. Recommendations include training school staff...
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01.25.2023 | January 25, 2023 (New York, NY) — Each year, roughly 7,500 New York City students spend time in foster care. This group has historically been overlooked in school reform efforts, despite having some of the most complex educational needs and bleakest academic outcomes of any student...
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01.25.2023 | NY Daily News | One in five kids who spend any time in foster care during high school drop out, the report found. “Youth in the foster system have enormous potential that too often goes unrealized because the systems charged with their care and education have failed to meet their...
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01.25.2023 | Politico (Pro) | About 7,500 New York City students spend time in foster care each year, according to the nonprofit. Erika Palmer, supervising attorney at AFC, praised the Department of Education for recently hiring a small team of staffers focused on supporting students in foster...
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Suspensions and School DisciplineReturning visitors to our resource library: If you have downloaded a publication before, we recommend clearing your browsing history before clicking the links below, to ensure you are viewing the most up-to-date versions. Note: Unless otherwise noted...
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01.19.2023 | Today, Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) released Sustaining Progress for NYC Students: A Call to Action for Policy Makers, highlighting the need for sustained investments to support education initiatives funded with one-time federal COVID-19 stimulus dollars after that funding...
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01.19.2023 | Our newest tip sheet covers how to know whether your child needs behavior supports in the classroom; who to contact if your child is having behavioral, emotional, or mental health challenges at school; your rights as a parent of a student with a disability; and what your child's school...
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Students Facing Disciplinary IssuesAdvocates for Children of New York (AFC) has more than 45 years of experience assisting students who are being removed from school for disciplinary reasons. When a student is facing a school suspension or expulsion, AFC works to ensure the student’s rights are not...
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Frequently asked questions for families of students with behavioral, emotional, or mental health challenges at school, including who to contact; your rights as a parent of a student with a disability; and what your child's school is NOT allowed to do.
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Blog: NYC’s pre-K program will soon have seats for all children with disabilities who want one, mayor says12.13.2022 | Chalkbeat NY | The city has also committed to opening another 400 new seats by sometime this spring. “We plan to hold the administration accountable for delivering on that promise,” said Randi Levine, policy director for Advocates for Children, a nonprofit organization that...
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12.15.2022 | NYC News Service | “It’s a really unjust and inequitable system,” said Maggie Moroff, senior special-education policy coordinator at the nonprofit Advocates for Children of New York. “And the more resources the family has, the more likely they are to be able to navigate the system...
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12.16.2022 | BronxNet | On this edition of Today’s Verdict, attorney Juliet Eisenstein, Esq. from Advocates for Children of New York explains to us about eliminating Regents exams from graduation requirements, a practice which currently makes New York State an outlier in the US. Watch video
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Resource: Guide to Section 504This guide explains what Section 504 is, how it applies to children in public schools, and how to get Section 504 services or accommodations for your child.