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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: 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. Previous WebinarsWatch all previous...
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Resource: Preparing for an IEP MeetingThe Department of Education is enormous, and navigating through the system is a tough job for anyone. These Tip Sheets can point you in the right direction and help you advocate for the right school and services for your child, from early intervention and preschool through high school and beyond.
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Resource: Worksheet: Preparing for an IEP MeetingYour child’s IEP is a very important document and should be specific to your child’s needs. This worksheet helps you prepare for an upcoming IEP meeting, to figure out some areas where your child has made improvements and where they may need more support.
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Resource: Cómo Preparase para la Reunión del IEP
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Z.Q. v. NYC Department of EducationIn the Z.Q. case, Advocates for Children of New York (“AFC”) and Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP filed a class action complaint in federal court against the New York City Department of Education (“DOE”) and New York State Education Department (“...
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03.31.2023 | AFC has updated our LGBTQ+ Education Guide, a a guide for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) students and allies in New York City Department of Education schools. It lays out LGBTQ+ students’ rights and what to do if these rights are violated. We...
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03.13.2023 | NY Daily News | “At a time when New York City has seen an increase in immigrant families, the city should be increasing, and certainly not decreasing, funding for this initiative,” said Betty Baez Melo, director of the Early Childhood Education Project at Advocates for Children of...
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03.20.2023 | Chalkbeat NY | Still, advocates argue that families aren’t to blame if nearby schools can’t provide bilingual special education support, noting that traveling long distances to secure services may not be tenable for younger children, and the city’s yellow bus system is notoriously...
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Blog: NYC Mayor Adams shouldn’t let programs for migrant students, mental health expire, advocates say03.22.2023 | NY Daily News | Mayor Adams shouldn’t let school programs that help tens of thousands of students expire this year, says a coalition of education advocates, attorneys and other services providers. “With the pandemic having exacerbated the need for mental health support for...
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03.15.2023 | Chalkbeat NY | The city says that if a student is absent or late due to a transportation issue, their absence is coded differently in the attendance system to ensure students are not penalized. But absences due to busing issues are still included in citywide chronic absenteeism rates...
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03.15.2023 | Gothamist | Still, advocates are calling on city officials to do more than soften blows. “At a time when New York City is receiving an increase in education funding from New York State and continues to have unspent federal COVID-19 relief funding, schools should receive additional...
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03.22.2023 | Chalkbeat NY | Randi Levine, policy director for Advocates for Children, said her group was happy about the end of the first come, first served enrollment process. She said many families who “needed more support to apply” didn’t get spots, including the very people who were supposed to...
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03.21.2023 | Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) released the following statement in response to the release of the New York City Department of Education (DOE)’s preschool special education data report for the 2021–22 school year:Today, the DOE posted new data showing that 37% of preschoolers...
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Blog: Newly Released Data Show Troubling Gaps for Students Needing Bilingual Special Education Services03.20.2023 | Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) issued the following statement in response to the release of the New York City Department of Education (DOE)’s special education data report for the 2021–22 school year: While the DOE has made notable progress over the past five years...
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Page: Alexandra's StoryWhen Luisa called AFC’s Helpline, she wasn’t sure what to expect, but she knew that her younger sister, Alexandra, needed help. For years, it felt like Alexandra had just been passed along from grade to grade, never receiving the support she needed. Now, at age 18, Alexandra was about to graduate...
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Page: Stay ConnectedEmail List Sign-UpClick the button below (or visit http://bit.ly/AFCsignup) and enter your email address to receive AFC's quarterly newsletter, The Advocate; our weekly Blackboard Bulletin; and other updates and action alerts from AFC. Missed an email, or want to learn more before signing up?...
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This guide is for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) students in New York City public schools, and their allies. It lays out LGBTQ+ students’ rights and what to do if these rights have been violated. It also answers common questions about LGBTQ+ youth in public...
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Highly Mobile Students: Youth in Foster Care, Temporary Housing, or the Juvenile/Criminal Justice SystemReturning 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...