05.23.2012 | The ARISE Coalition and AFC have each released new publications to help parents understand their rights in the special education reform. The Coalition’s “Special Education Reform Fact Sheet” stresses that parents’ rights have not changed. Download the fact sheet in English [PDF] or Spanish [PDF]. AFC’s “Kindergarten Placement for Students with IEPs” focuses specifically on the “Turning 5” placement process. Download the fact sheet in English [PDF] or Spanish [PDF].
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Paige’s Story
Paige, a bright third grade student on the autism spectrum, sat at home for nearly two months waiting for a school placement that would meet her needs.
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News & Media
Newsfeed
05.15.2012 | In 1996, the New York State Education Department set in motion the phase out of the local diploma in an effort to have all students fulfill the requirements for the more rigorous Regents diploma. After 15 years of phase out and a last-minute proposal to extend the local diploma only for students with disabilities, up to 14,000 general education students in New York State who still rely on the local diploma to graduate from high school will now fail to graduate this June because the local diploma will no longer be available to them. Most will be Black, Hispanic, English Language Learners, poor, and in large urban areas. The Coalition for Multiple Pathways to a Diploma urges the State to take a thoughtful and comprehensive approach to creating alternative pathways to a high school diploma. Until New York develops multiple pathways to a diploma, however, we cannot eliminate current options, like the local diploma, that provide real opportunities for our young people. Learn what you can do to take action [PDF].
5.09.2012 | Advocates for Children of New York’s Spring Benefit on May 8, 2012 was a great success. Once again, The Rubin Museum was packed! Thank you to our over 500 supporters! Your continued generosity enables us to protect the education rights of every NYC child.
(Pictured left to right: Richard Beattie, recipient of Jill Chaifetz Award for Excellence in Educational Advocacy; Eric A. DeGiaimo, recipient of The Education Champion Award; and presenter, Harold Ford, Jr.)
05.01.2012 | AFC testified before the New York City Council Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Disability Services and the Committee on Education regarding the negative consequences that the city-wide shortage of school-based mental health services has on schools and their students. Read testimony [PDF]
4.19.2012 | Luisa Piñeiro Fuentes was an educator in the New York City public schools for 38 years, and served as principal at PS/MS 279 and PS 307. She fought constantly to establish a safe and loving environment in her schools, and to secure the necessary resources for any child in her community who was in need.
AFC is incredibly proud and honored that Ms. Fuentes' family and friends have selected AFC as the recipient of donations made in her memory in recognition of our shared mission “to protect every child’s right to learn.” Click here to learn more about Ms. Fuentes and to make a donation in her honor.
04.17.2012 | AFC Executive Director, Kim Sweet, is a member of the New York City Working Group on School Transformation, which released a report calling on the city’s Department of Education to support low-performing schools, rather than simply closing them. The Working Group, initiated by the NYC Coalition for Educational Justice and coordinated by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, grew out of a 2011 conference that presented successful alternatives to school closings. Read the report [PDF]
04.16.2012 | Mayor Bloomberg’s Preliminary Budget would cut 47,000 children from early childhood education and after-school programs. To see what you can do to oppose these cuts, and to get an update on Early Intervention in the final state budget, please see our action alert [PDF].
03.29.2012 | AFC testified before the New York City Council Committee on General Welfare in opposition to the shortsighted, massive cuts to early childhood education programs proposed in Mayor Bloomberg’s Preliminary Budget. Read testimony [PDF]
03.09.2012 | Research demonstrates that the stimulation and interaction a child receives during the first five years of life are critical to permanent brain development. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Early Intervention (EI) program provides evaluations and services to infants and toddlers who have developmental delays or disabilities. These services can help infants and toddlers at the time when they can make the biggest difference.
Governor Cuomo’s 2012-2013 Executive Budget proposal would restructure EI, giving health insurance companies an unprecedented role in the program. AFC is urging state legislators to protect access to high-quality EI services and ensure that EI services are driven by children’s needs, not by their health insurance coverage.
Read a letter [PDF] from AFC expressing our concerns regarding this proposal.
Policy Work
Reaching Every Reader: NYC Literacy Summit
On December 9, 2021, Advocates for Children of New York (AFC), the NYC Department of Education, and the ARISE Coalition jointly hosted a Literacy Summit [PDF]—an all-day virtual event that brought together diverse stakeholders and experts from around the country to explore current challenges in reading instruction, strengthen our commitment to advancing equitable outcomes for all students, and plan for the future. In May 2022, AFC issued a report, Reaching Every Reader: The Path Forward, that summarized key takeaways from the summit and articulated a clear vision for improving reading instruction in New York City schools. At the same time, 70 organizations released a Call to Collective Action, joining together around the shared goal of universal literacy and pledging to fight to ensure that every child in every classroom has the support they need to become a successful and lifelong reader.
Watch a video recording of the summit
Read the report [PDF]
Read the Call to Collective Action [PDF]
Turning the Page on Literacy Instruction in NYC Schools: Recommendations for the Fiscal Year 2022 Budget [PDF]
One of the most fundamental responsibilities of schools is to teach children how to read, and there is a mountain of scientific research on how to do so effectively. Yet far too many NYC students struggle to become skilled readers, while far too many schools continue to use ineffective curricula that are not aligned with the science, and far too many teachers have never been trained in evidence-based practice. As the City plans for education recovery, it must invest part of its $7 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funding in a comprehensive effort to revamp the way it provides reading instruction to all students and targeted interventions to students who need extra support.
A is for All: Meeting the Literacy Needs of Students with and without Disabilities in the New York City Public Schools [PDF]
In March 2016, AFC released this report documenting the need for urgent and sustained action to address the particularly low literacy levels for low-income students with disabilities. The report discusses the key elements for teaching reading effectively to all students, reviews research and case stories indicating that students with a wide range of disabilities are capable of learning to read if they receive appropriate instruction, highlights a number of promising programs in New York City, and provides recommendations for implementing systemic and lasting change.
Guides & Resources for Families
Note: The following resources are all in PDF format and will open in a new window. To view PDF files, download the following free software: Get Adobe® Reader®. If you are unable to access PDFs, please call our Helpline (866-427-6033) or email info@afcnyc.org, and we will be happy to provide the information in an alternative format.
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Questions & Answers about Literacy and Dyslexia
En Español: Preguntas y Respuestas sobre la Alfabetización y la Dislexia
This fact sheet answers frequently asked questions and explains how to get help if your child is struggling to learn to read.
Reading Milestones: What your child should know and be able to do
This fact sheet describes what your child should be learning during each of their first few years of school in order to become a successful reader. It also lists common warning signs of future difficulty or disability.
Literacy and Parent-Teacher Conferences
En Español: Reuniones de padres y maestros: Preguntas para los maestros acerca de qué tan bien su hijo o hija está aprendiendo a leer o escribir
This fact sheet provides suggestions for questions to ask your child’s teachers about how well they're learning to read and write.
The Advocate: Special Edition on Literacy
The Winter 2019 issue of AFC's newsletter for parents and professionals, The Advocate, was a special edition dedicated to literacy! Highlights include answers to frequently asked questions about reading instruction, phonics, and Orton-Gillingham; fact versus fiction when it comes to dyslexia; and much more.