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AFC's Spring Benefit
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
6:00 – 9:30 pm
Three Sixty ° New York

Resource library: View AFC's guidebooks, fact sheets, and more

Emely’s Story

Emely spent years struggling academically because she was not identified as a student with a learning disability.

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Policy

Policy Agenda

Policy Agenda

AFC’s mission is to ensure a high-quality education for New York students who face barriers to academic success, focusing on students from low-income backgrounds.  At a minimum, this education must allow all students to become literate, develop social-emotional competence, and prepare for successful adult lives.  In working toward these goals, parents must have the opportunity to play a meaningful role in their children’s education.

AFC focuses on assisting the students who need the most support to overcome barriers and succeed in school.  Each year, we help thousands of individual students and parents navigate the New York City education system.  Our on-the-ground experience allows us to identify systemic problems and solutions, driving our policy priorities.

We advocate for policies that promote:

  • Improved educational programs, opportunities, and outcomes for students from low-income families, students of color, students with disabilities, English Language Learners, students living in temporary housing, LGBTQ students, and students involved in the child welfare or the juvenile or criminal justice systems.

  • Positive approaches to discipline that reduce disparities in suspension rates based on race and disability and keep students in school.

  • School stability for students, particularly students experiencing homelessness and students in foster care so they can remain in their school even if their living situation changes.

  • Access to high-quality early childhood education programs and services that prepare zero-to-five-year-old children for kindergarten.

  • Multiple pathways to high school graduation, including paths that do not rely on high-stakes standardized testing, so that more students can graduate and access college or employment.

  • Parent empowerment so all parents, including parents with Limited English Proficiency and parents of students with disabilities, can participate meaningfully in their children’s education.

  • Protection from discrimination for students in traditional public schools and charter schools.

thumbnail image of fy25 budget prioritiesAFC's Fiscal Year 2025 City Budget Priorities | Winter 2024

Learn more about AFC's advocacy priorities for this year's City budget. Numerous education programs, services, and staff positions are currently at risk of deep cuts as a result of the expiration of federal COVID-19 stimulus funding that will run dry in June 2024, the expiration of one-year city funding, and the Preliminary Budget cut of more than $700 million from New York City Public Schools (NYCPS)’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget.

Read our full FY25 budget priorities [PDF]

Read our one-pager on shelter-based community coordinators [PDF]



thumbnail image of first page of call to actionCall to Action to Save Key Education Programs | September 2023

AFC joined more than 150 organizations to call on elected leaders to sustain critical education programs currently supported by temporary federal COVID-19 stimulus funding set to run dry in June 2024. New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) has been using billions of dollars in federal stimulus funding not only to address temporary pandemic-related challenges, but also to stave off cuts to existing initiatives and to launch and expand a range of essential programs to meet needs that existed long before the pandemic and will remain long after the federal COVID-19 relief funds expire. But these federal funds will expire soon and there is not yet a plan to sustain these critical programs and supports.

Read the call-to-action [PDF]
Add your name to our sign-on letter

cover of mayoral recommendationsVision for NYC Schools: AFC's Recommendations for the Next Administration | November 2021

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.

Read the full recommendations [PDF]