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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.

Leading the Way for NYC Schools: Recommendations for the Next Administration
  • Policy Agenda

    • 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.
    Closeup of student holding a pencil in class

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    AFC Testifies on the DOE’s Use of Foundation Aid and Federal COVID-19 Relief Funding
    New York State capitol building
  • Testimony & Public Comment
    • AFC Testifies on the DOE’s Use of Foundation Aid and Federal COVID-19 Relief Funding

    AFC testified before the New York State Senate Education Committee on the DOE’s use of increased state and federal education funding; specifically, how the funding is being used to meet the needs of students with disabilities, English Language Learners, and students experiencing homelessness—students who were hit particularly hard by the closure of schools.

    Oct 5, 2021

    100+ Organizations Urge Governor Cuomo to Increase Funding for Preschool Special Education Programs
    Two young girls drawing in a classroom.
  • Sign-On Letter
    • 100+ Organizations Urge Governor Cuomo to Increase Funding for Preschool Special Education Programs

    AFC joined more than 100 organizations in sending a letter urging the Governor to sign into law A. 8013 (Benedetto) / S. 6516-A (Mannion), a bill passed unanimously by the Senate and Assembly to ensure that preschool special education programs, as well as state-approved non-public schools for school-age students with significant disabilities, receive the same increase in payment rates as school districts.

    Aug 9, 2021

    AFC Comments on Nondiscriminatory Administration of School Discipline
    Pencil laying on an open spiral-bound notebook. (Photo by PNW Production via Pexels)
  • Testimony & Public Comment
    • AFC Comments on Nondiscriminatory Administration of School Discipline

    AFC submitted public comments to the U.S. Department of Education on the exclusionary, punitive school discipline and police policies and practices faced by New York City public school students, the disproportionate impact these policies and practices have on Black and Brown students and students with disabilities, and promising alternative practices.

    Jul 23, 2021

    Police Response to Students in Emotional Crisis: A Call for Comprehensive Mental Health and Social-Emotional Support for Students in Police-Free Schools
    Silhouette of a male student walking down a row of books in a library.
  • Policy Report
    • Police Response to Students in Emotional Crisis: A Call for Comprehensive Mental Health and Social-Emotional Support for Students in Police-Free Schools

    This report explores data on police responses to more than 12,000 “child in crisis” interventions, where a student in emotional distress is removed from class and transported to the hospital for psychological evaluation. A disproportionate share of these interventions involved Black students, students attending District 75 schools, and students attending schools located in low-income communities of color. We call on the City to end the criminalization of students in emotional crisis by eliminating police from schools and investing in behavioral and mental health supports and services.

    Jun 3, 2021

    110 Organizations Urge Mayor de Blasio to Meet the Need for Preschool Special Education Classes
    A young girl in a classroom reads from a textbook.
  • Sign-On Letter
    • 110 Organizations Urge Mayor de Blasio to Meet the Need for Preschool Special Education Classes

    More than 100 organizations sent a letter to Mayor de Blasio making the point that 3-K and Pre-K will never be “for all” until the City addresses the continuing shortage of seats in preschool special education classes—a shortage that has left young children with disabilities who have a legal right to such a class sitting at home or in settings that cannot provide the support they need.

    Apr 12, 2021

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    Description

    Responding to Proposed Changes to the U.S. Department of Education

    This proposed restructuring violates federal law and is the latest step in an ongoing effort to dismantle the Department of Education. Learn more about what this means.

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