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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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03.31.2016 | NY1 | Student suspensions were down 32 percent this past summer and fall compared to the same period a year earlier. The city claims it's the direct result of a new disciplinary policy ordered by Mayor Bill de Blasio. "It means fewer kids missing class time, and it means more schools...
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03.31.2016 | On Thursday, April 14, AFC's Junior Board and NYU Law School's Education Law and Policy Society will hold a panel on technology and education equity. The event is free, but please register in advance if you plan on attending.
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03.01.2016 | Today, Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) issued the following statement of its Executive Director, Kim Sweet, in response to the New York City Department of Education’s Reporting of Information Regarding Students Receiving Special Education Services pursuant to Local Law 27:...
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03.28.2016 | New York Times | Advocates for Children of New York writes in support of amending state law to affirm the obligation of charters to follow disciplinary procedures. Read letter to the editor
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03.21.2016 | Chalkbeat New York | Abja Midha, a project director at Advocates for Children who works to establish alternative pathways to graduation for students, said the measures are a step in the right direction. She also agrees it leaves questions for students who struggle to pass Regents exams...
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03.04.2016 | Politico New York | There have been rumblings about the department possibly doing away with D75 altogether in recent years, although department officials have always maintained there are no plans to eliminate it. Instead, advocates say, there's a sector-wide call for the district to...
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03.02.2016 | DNA Info | “It’s a huge number of kids,” said Maggie Moroff, of Advocates for Children, which works with families to get the services they need for their special needs students. “I wish we were surprised by the numbers, but we weren’t. We get calls every day, and a big portion of our...
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03.01.2016 | New York Times | The report, released to comply with a law passed by the City Council last year, said that “major deficiencies” in the design of the Special Education Student Information System, which is supposed to track students receiving special education, “continue to affect the D....
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03.01.2016 | WNYC Schoolbook | The non-profit group Advocates for Children also noted that these numbers were in step with what they saw on the ground and heard from families who sought help when children were not receiving mandated special education services. "Clearly, the city must address the...
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02.18.2016 | WNYC Schoolbook | The ARISE Coalition (coordinated by AFC) and Parents for Inclusive Education (PIE) respond to the DOE's official response to U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara's report on barrier-free schools, which found that 83 percent of the city's elementary schools are not fully...
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02.10.2016 | DNAInfo | Advocates hailed the DOE's first step as a positive sign. The fact that special education FAQ clearly states that budget, staff and space can’t limit services is “big,” said Maggie Moroff, of Advocates for Children. “They’re trying to send a real message to the schools,” she...
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01.26.2016 | Chalkbeat New York | Others say the repeated battles over the specifics of mayoral control have become a distraction. “This is another issue that takes away from the issues that we want to focus on if we have to go back to the table each year and debate mayoral control,” said Randi...
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01.14.2016 | Public News Service | New Education Department data show the rate inched up just under 2 percent to 78.1 percent for the class that entered in 2011 and graduated in 2015. This comes as state education officials consider new pathways to graduation other than standardized tests, which...
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01.14.2016 | In response to the release of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 2016-2017 Executive Budget, Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) released the following statement: Governor Cuomo’s proposed education budget misses an opportunity to help tens of thousands of students throughout New York...
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01.10.2016 | Chalkbeat New York | The state created the CDOS credential in 2013 as a way to signal students’ readiness for entry-level employment. But the credential is not accepted in place of a diploma, keeping students from attending college, entering the military or finding a job in most cases...
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Blog: Statement in Response to the State Education Department’s Proposal for Expanding Graduation Pathways01.11.2016 | Kim Sweet, Executive Director of Advocates for Children of New York, issued the following statement in response to the proposal for expanding graduation pathways for all students discussed at today’s Board of Regents meeting: New York State's emphasis on five high-stakes...
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Blog: City Pledges New School Buses After I-Team Exposes Homeless Kids Forced to Take Long Subway Trips12.24.2015 | NBC 4 New York | Jennifer Pringle, who works with the group Advocates for Children, said the new bus routes will make a huge impact. “I can’t emphasize enough what a game changer this is for so many families,” Pringle said. View segment
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01.07.2016 | AFC joins our colleagues throughout New York in mourning the passing of Judith Kaye, the State’s former Chief Judge. We were privileged to partner with Judge Kaye in her advocacy to keep kids in school and out of courts. Judge Kaye knew that courts are no place for children to grow up...