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.
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The Fiscal Year 2025 budget must save education programs that are providing critical support to some of New York City’s most marginalized students and families.
AFC testified on school based mental health clinics, urging the City Council to ensure the budget includes funding to continue the Mental Health Continuum and sustain a range of important education programs currently funded with expiring federal dollars.
AFC testified before the New York City Council Committees on Education and Public Safety in support of Int. No. 0003-2022, which would regulate the NYPD’s response to students in emotional crisis within public schools.
AFC testified before the New York City Council Committee on Education, Committee on General Welfare, and the Committee on Criminal Justice regarding educational programming in detention facilities and Intro 542, which requires DOE, ACS and DOC to report on educational programming for students in court-ordered settings.
AFC submitted comments on the proposed amendments to Chancellor’s Regulation A-412 to better protect students from unnecessary and traumatizing police involvement and provide clear guidance to school staff and School Safety Division (SSD)/NYPD officers to promote safe, respectful, and supportive learning environments for students.
AFC testified before the New York City Council Committee on Education in support of Intro. 857, to expand the NYC Department of Education’s data reporting requirements to include metrics on students in foster care, and Intro. 121, to require the DOE to report annually on therapeutic crisis intervention training in schools.
AFC joined 16 organizations to call on lawmakers to oppose the amended version of S.1040-A. The proposed bill fails to make necessary changes to current law to reduce the disparate impact of punitive school discipline policies upon students of color.
AFC testified before the New York State Senate Committees on Education and New York City Education in strong support of the Judith Kaye Solutions Not Suspensions (SNS) Act (A. 5691/S. 1040). Our testimony discusses data and reports illustrating the harm, and civil rights crisis, from exclusionary discipline disproportionately applied to certain student populations.
AFC testified before the City Council Committee on Education regarding the FY 24 preliminary budget, urging the City to extend funding for education initiatives left out of the preliminary budget and invest in initiatives to support the students with the greatest needs.
Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) issued the following response to the release of the New York City Department of Education (DOE)’s suspension data report for the 2021-22 school year.