Policy

Public Comments & Testimony Archive: 2012

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AFC Testifies about the DOE's Networks for School Support, October 25, 2012
AFC testified before the Education Committee of the New York City Council, expressing concerns about the Department of Education's network-based structure for supporting the City's schools.

AFC Comments on Proposed State Early Intervention Regulations, October 18, 2012
AFC submitted public comments opposing regulations proposed by the New York State Department of Health that would prohibit the same agency from evaluating and providing services to a child and family in the Early Intervention Program. The proposed regulations would make it challenging to serve English Language Learners and children with certain specific needs.

AFC Testifies about Special Education Transportation, October 10, 2012
AFC testified before the New York City Council Education Committee, expressing concerns about the transportation of students with disabilities.

AFC Testifies about the NYC Early Intervention Program, October 3, 2012
AFC testified before the New York City Council Committee on Mental Health, expressing concerns about implementation of the NYC Early Intervention Program's embedded coaching initiative.

AFC Testifies about the DOE's Corrective Action Plan for ELL Students, September 27, 2012
AFC testified before the New York City Council's Committee on Education and Committee on Immigration regarding oversight of immigrant students in the NYC public schools and the DOE’s Corrective Action Plan for ELL students.

AFC Testifies about Mandatory Kindergarten and Special Education Reform, June 12, 2012
AFC testified before the City Council Committee on Education about the importance of mandatory kindergarten and the need to address concerns regarding the city’s special education reform.

The ARISE Coalition Testifies on Special Education Reform, June 12, 2012
The ARISE Coalition, coordinated by AFC, testified before the City Council Committee on Education urging the DOE to address concerns about implementation of the on-going special education reform.

AFC Testifies Against Cuts to Early Childhood and After-School Programs, June 6, 2012
AFC testified before the New York City Council Committee on Finance, urging Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council to reject the devastating proposal to cut 47,000 children from early childhood education and after-school programs.

AFC Testifies Regarding the New School Discipline Code, June 5, 2012
AFC testified before the Office of School and Youth Development, New York City Department of Education regarding the importance to changes in the discipline code that would lead away from schools' use of punishment and exclusion and towards positive, school-wide approaches to discipline and safety that improve school climate, reduce conflict, and increase learning.

AFC Testifies on School-Based Mental Health Services, May 1, 2012
AFC testified before the New York City Council on the negative consequences that the city-wide shortage of school-based mental health services has on schools and their students.

AFC Testifies on the Co-Location of Public Schools, April 19, 2012
AFC testified before the New York City Council Committee on Education on the school co-location process and the impact it is having on students with disabilities.

AFC Testifies on the Fiscal Year 2013 Preliminary Budget, March 29, 2012
AFC testified before the New York City Council Committee on General Welfare in opposition to the shortsighted, massive cuts to early childhood education programs proposed in Mayor Bloomberg’s Preliminary Budget.

AFC Testifies on the Oversight of Medicaid Claims for Related Services, March 1, 2012
AFC’s testimony before the City Council Committees on Education and Finance regarding the oversight of Medicaid claims for special education related services by the Department of Education.

AFC's Letter to the New York Assembly Regarding Proposed Budget Cuts, February 14, 2012
AFC urges legislators to protect access to high-quality Early Intervention (EI) services and ensure that EI services are driven by children’s needs, not by their health insurance coverage.

AFC Comments on the New York State Education Department’s Draft Request for Flexibility under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind, January 30, 2012
AFC is encouraged by New York’s efforts to move away, however slightly, from a largely punitive school and district accountability system and toward providing increased support to districts and schools to improve the quality of teaching and learning. AFC outlines its concerns and makes specific recommendations for meaningful accountability.