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Policy Resources

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.

More than 115 Organizations Call for Changes to New York State’s School Funding Formula
  • Sign-On Letter

    • 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 More than 115 organizations are calling on Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature to revamp New York’s outdated school funding formula to ensure schools have the resources necessary to provide a high-quality education to all students, with particular attention to those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.
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    Vision for NYC Schools: Recommendations for the Next Administration
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  • Policy Agenda
    • Vision for NYC Schools: Recommendations for the Next Administration

    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.

    Nov 3, 2021

    Advocates Call on DOE to Invest in Supports for Students in Foster Care
    Black male teenager wearing a school uniform and riding a New York City bus. (Photo by Cavan for Adobe, Adobe Stock)
  • Sign-On Letter
    • Advocates Call on DOE to Invest in Supports for Students in Foster Care

    AFC joined 35 child welfare and education organizations to call on Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Porter to invest in support for students in foster care. We’re asking that they provide funding in the Fiscal Year 2022 budget to create a DOE office focused full-time on students in foster care and to guarantee school bus or other door-to-door transportation for students in foster care who need it to maintain school stability.

    Jun 1, 2021

    Building a Network of Support: The Case for a DOE Office for Students in Foster Care
    Students line up on socially distanced dots painted on the sidewalk to wait their turn to have their temperatures checked before entering Middletown High School.
  • Policy Report
    • Building a Network of Support: The Case for a DOE Office for Students in Foster Care

    This May 2021 AFC and Legal Aid Society report highlights the urgent need for the Department of Education to launch a small office focused solely on the needs of students in foster care. Currently, the DOE does not have an office, team, or even a single staff member dedicated to supporting the 6,000 New York City youth in foster care, a group of students particularly in need of specialized support.

    May 4, 2021

    AFC’s COVID-19 Education Recovery Plan
    Two teenage girls with backpacks, one wearing a face mask, walk up a flight of stairs in a subway station. (Photo by Charlotte May via Pexels)
  • Policy Agenda
    • AFC’s COVID-19 Education Recovery Plan

    With the federal government having approved the largest one-time investment in education in our nation’s history, NYC needs an ambitious education initiative to pave the way to hope and opportunity for this generation of students. Such a plan must invest resources in academic support, mental health support, and outreach and engagement. It must be targeted to assist students disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, including the provision of specialized instruction and support where needed. This plan outlines our recommendations for steps the City should take.

    Mar 12, 2021

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