Palmer, who along with Councilmember Joseph was instrumental in advocating for the specialized foster care office, implored the new mayoral team to focus on restorative justice practices over suspensions, and expand “mandatory training for school-based clinicians and administrators on the unique needs of students in foster care, as well as effective strategies to support them in the classroom.”
La huella | New data released by New York City Public Schools Tuesday revealed a slight increase during the past year in the suspension rates among students in the city’s foster care system and those experiencing homelessness.
New York City public schools issued long-term suspensions to students in foster care nearly six times more often than other students. During the 2024-25 school year, the city issued roughly 115 suspensions for every 1,000 students in foster care, compared with 106 students the prior year, according to an analysis from the nonprofit Advocates for Children of New York.
“We remain deeply concerned that students in foster care continue to be suspended at a disproportionate rate,” Erika Palmer, supervising attorney at the nonprofit Advocates for Children of New York, said in a statement. She called on the administration of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to “build upon the innovative work” being done in the city office serving students in out-of-home placements.
