AFC works to change education policy so that the public school system serves all children effectively. We publish policy reports and data analyses, testify at the City and State levels, speak out in the press to bring attention to the challenges facing the students and families we serve, and join with other advocates, parents, youth, and educators to call for change.
Leading the Way for NYC Schools: Recommendations for the Next Administration
Based on our experience helping thousands of NYC families each year, we urge the next Mayor to take on big challenges with bold ideas and stand firm in the face of threats to students’ civil rights.
AFC testified before the Panel for Educational Policy in support of the City’s proposal to include $750 million to improve school accessibility in the 2020-2024 Capital Plan. That investment in accessibility, the City’s largest to date, will literally open doors to include and integrate individuals who are far too often excluded because of their accessibility needs.
AFC testified before the City Council Committee on Education on the importance of increasing funding for several education priorities, including school social workers, direct mental health support for students, educational support for students who are homeless and students in foster care, and preschool special education programs.
Advocates for Children testified before the New York City Council Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction regarding the gap in access to direct mental health services and behavior supports for students with significant emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs.
AFC and the ARISE Coalition (coordinated by AFC) both testified before the New York City Council Committee on Education regarding the provision of special education services. The City must do more to extend the vision of equity and excellence in education to students with disabilities and to ensure that the needs of students with disabilities are considered and addressed in every DOE policy decision.
AFC testified before the New York City Council Committee on Education, Committee on Finance, and Subcommittee on Capital Budget in support of the proposal to include $750 million in the FY 2020–2024 Capital Plan to improve school accessibility.
AFC submitted public comment to the New York State Education Department on a proposed amendment to the regulation about the right of students with disabilities receiving SACC and CDOS credentials to participate in graduation ceremonies and activities. We urged NYSED to require schools to inform families that these students have the right to stay in school through age 21 or until they earn a diploma, regardless of their participation in graduation activities.
AFC testified before the New York City Council Committees on Education, Sanitation and Solid Waste Management, and Transportation about the City’s Preparation for and Response to Winter Storm Avery. Our testimony focused on the experiences of students with disabilities on school buses during the snowstorm and the importance of passing legislation to provide parents with access to real-time GPS data for their children’s school buses.
Kim Sweet, Executive Director of Advocates for Children of New York (AFC), issued the following statement in response to the release of the New York City Department of Education’s proposed FY 2020-2024 Five-Year Capital Plan.
