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.
76 Results Found
AFC testified before the City Council Committee on Finance, asking that the final budget include increased funding for DOE social workers for students living in shelters and for restorative justice programs.
AFC testified before the City Council Education Committee about the City’s Fiscal Year 2017 Preliminary Budget, calling on the Administration and City Council to increase funding to address school climate and to support students experiencing homelessness.
AFC presented this white paper at the 2016 national conference of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA). The paper discusses the rights of students with disabilities to behavioral supports, and individual and systemic advocacy strategies that provide support for students with disabilities instead of excluding them from school.
AFC testified at a New York City Council Committee on Higher Education oversight hearing on teacher training in New York City’s post-secondary institutions, emphasizing the need to better prepare new teachers to support the needs of students who are struggling to learn to read and students with behavioral challenges.
AFC testified before the City Council Committee on Finance to request that the final budget include increased funding for Committee on Special Education staff and increased funding for progressive discipline support.
Today AFC is testifying before the New York City Council Committees on Public Safety and Education, and the Sub-Committee on Non-Public Schools, regarding school climate and discipline. AFC supports the passage of both Intro. No. 730, amending the Student Safety Act, and Intro. No. 719, requiring the DOE to report on the ratio of School Safety Officers (SSOs) to Guidance Counselors in each school.
AFC testified before the City Council Education Committee about the problem of overcrowding in schools and about the charter school cap. We believe it is premature to raise the cap on the number of charter schools before putting laws and practices in place that protect students’ civil rights in the context of school discipline and ensure that charter schools serve high-needs populations.
AFC testified at the DOE Office of Safety and Youth Development hearing on the draft school discipline code for 2014-2015. Our testimony focuses on the DOE’s revision to Infraction Code B21 and the importance of addressing the behavioral needs of Pre-K students.
This February 2015 report describes findings made from AFC’s review of 164 New York City charter school discipline policies obtained through Freedom of Information Law requests. A significant number of City charter schools have discipline policies that fail to meet the legal requirements, leading to violations of students’ and parents’ civil rights. The report includes recommendations for state legislators to consider as they discuss raising the cap on charter schools and ensuring that charter schools serve high-needs students.
AFC testified before the New York City Council Committee on Education regarding guidance counselors in schools and expanding college access for all students.