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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 More than 115 organizations are calling on Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature to revamp New York’s outdated school funding formula to ensure schools have the resources necessary to provide a high-quality education to all students, with particular attention to those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.
    Desks facing a chalkboard in an empty classroom. (Photo by maroke, Adobe Stock)

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    Delayed Interventions: Early Indicators of the Pandemic’s Impact on Infants and Toddlers
    A toddler sits on the floor with legos and blocks. (Photo by Lisa Fotios from Pexels)
  • Policy Report
    • Delayed Interventions: Early Indicators of the Pandemic’s Impact on Infants and Toddlers

    This January 2021 data brief examines the steep decline during the COVID-19 pandemic in the number of infants and toddlers referred to the New York City Early Intervention (EI) program to address concerns about their development. As a result of the drop in referrals, thousands of young children with developmental delays or disabilities missed the chance for intervention at the time it is most effective.

    Jan 15, 2021

    Student Homelessness in New York City, 2019–20
    Close up of students writing on exam answer sheets in a classroom. (Photo by arrowsmith2, Adobe Stock)
  • Issue Brief
    • Student Homelessness in New York City, 2019–20

    The New York State Technical and Education Assistance Center for Homeless Students (NYS-TEACHS), a project of Advocates for Children of New York (AFC), posted new data showing that more than 111,000 New York City students—approximately one in ten children enrolled in district or charter schools—were identified as homeless during the 2019-20 school year. In the Bronx, approximately one in six students was homeless.

    Dec 3, 2020

    Recommendations for Improving the Education of New York City Students with Disabilities During the Pandemic
    Yellow and blue colored pencils
  • Policy Report
    • Recommendations for Improving the Education of New York City Students with Disabilities During the Pandemic

    Advocates for Children of New York released a set of essential recommendations for New York City’s school reopening plan, urging the Department of Education (DOE) to ensure that students with disabilities have the support they need when schools reopen, whether they are learning in a school building or remotely.

    Aug 18, 2020

    AFC Urges DOE to Follow State Guidance & Let 21-Year-Old Students Stay in School
    Rear shot of a young woman writing in a notebook; textbooks are piled in the background. (Photo by RF._.studio via Pexels)
  • Press Statement
    • AFC Urges DOE to Follow State Guidance & Let 21-Year-Old Students Stay in School

    Kim Sweet, Executive Director of Advocates for Children of New York (AFC), issued the following statement in response to new State guidance strongly encouraging school districts to provide over-age high school students the opportunity to return to school next year to finish meeting graduation requirements and to prepare for their transition out of high school.

    Jun 25, 2020

    Invest in Education, not Criminalization
    Exterior of a public school building. (Photo by sangaku, iStock)
  • Issue Brief
    • Invest in Education, not Criminalization

    This June 2020 policy brief summarizes the proposed cuts to education funding in the Mayor’s Fiscal Year 2021 Executive Budget and the devastating impact these cuts would have on schools and students. The brief urges Mayor de Blasio and the City Council to reject cuts to education and ensure schools have more resources—not less—to address the challenges caused by the pandemic.

    Jun 23, 2020

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