Mayor-elect Eric Adams will take office at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the longstanding inequities in our City’s schools. Based on our 50 years of on-the-ground experience helping students and families navigate the largest school system in the country and get the support they need to learn, we outline some of the most pressing challenges in public education — including those that pre-date COVID — where the incoming Mayor must be prepared to focus attention, energy, and resources.
Ressources politiques
L'AFC s'efforce de changer la politique éducative afin que le système scolaire public serve tous enfants efficacement. Nous publions des rapports politiques et des analyses de données, témoignons aux niveaux de la ville et de l'État, nous exprimons dans la presse pour attirer l'attention sur les défis auxquels sont confrontés les étudiants et les familles que nous servons, et nous nous joignons à d'autres défenseurs, parents, jeunes et éducateurs pour appeler à changement.
More than 115 Organizations Call for Changes to New York State’s School Funding Formula
Every child in New York State has the right to a sound, basic education—and providing such an education requires adequate and equitable funding. More than 115 organizations are calling on Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature to revamp New York’s outdated school funding formula to ensure schools have the resources necessary to provide a high-quality education to all students, with particular attention to those who have the greatest needs.161 Results Found
AFC and the ARISE Coalition (coordinated by AFC) testified before the City Council Committee on Education on the continued work needed to strengthen the DOE’s academic recovery plans this year. While we appreciate that the City is using this funding for some important initiatives, we worry there is still inadequate detail about how the funding will be used, inadequate funding for key priorities, and too much discretion and responsibility left to individual schools that already have their hands full reopening schools and keeping school communities safe.
AFC testified before the New York State Senate Education Committee on the DOE’s use of increased state and federal education funding; specifically, how the funding is being used to meet the needs of students with disabilities, English Language Learners, and students experiencing homelessness—students who were hit particularly hard by the closure of schools.
AFC joined more than 100 organizations in sending a letter urging the Governor to sign into law A. 8013 (Benedetto) / S. 6516-A (Mannion), a bill passed unanimously by the Senate and Assembly to ensure that preschool special education programs, as well as state-approved non-public schools for school-age students with significant disabilities, receive the same increase in payment rates as school districts.
AFC submitted comments on the DOE’s proposed changes to Chancellor’s Regulation A-710 about Section 504 accommodations for students with disabilities.
AFC submitted public comments to the U.S. Department of Education on the exclusionary, punitive school discipline and police policies and practices faced by New York City public school students, the disproportionate impact these policies and practices have on Black and Brown students and students with disabilities, and promising alternative practices.
AFC joined 90+ organizations to call on Mayor de Blasio to address the shortage of preschool special education classes and provide salary parity to teachers of preschool special education classes at community-based organizations (CBOs) this year.
Advocates for Children of New York issued the following response to the NYC Department of Education’s first release of preschool special education data required pursuant to Local Law 21 of 2020.
Ce rapport explore les données sur les réponses de la police à plus de 12 000 interventions « enfants en crise », où un élève en détresse émotionnelle est retiré de la classe et transporté à l'hôpital pour une évaluation psychologique. Une part disproportionnée de ces interventions impliquait des étudiants noirs, des étudiants fréquentant les écoles du district 75 et des étudiants fréquentant des écoles situées dans des communautés de couleur à faible revenu. Nous appelons la Ville à mettre fin à la criminalisation des élèves en crise émotionnelle en éliminant la police des écoles et en investissant dans des soutiens et des services de santé comportementale et mentale.
Ce rapport met en évidence les données sur les disparités raciales dans les taux de compétence en lecture et appelle la ville à investir une partie de ses $7 milliards dans le financement fédéral de secours contre le COVID-19 dans un effort global visant à réorganiser la manière dont elle dispense des cours de lecture à tous les étudiants et des interventions ciblées aux étudiants. qui ont besoin d'un soutien supplémentaire.