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AFC News Archives December 2007 A Message from Kim Sweet, Executive Director: AFC TO PARTICIPATE IN CIBC WORLD MARKETS MIRACLE DAY CAMPAIGN 2007. MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR DECEMBER 5! On December 5, 2007, CIBC World Markets will hold its annual Miracle Day campaign and donate 100% of commissions less expenses from trades made through the firm that day to children's charities located in the United States. AFC is a participating charity in Miracle Day 2007. Your involvement in Miracle Day will make an important difference in the lives of the children who depend on AFC. Here's how you can help. If you are a CIBC World Markets client, please designate AFC as the beneficiary of your net commissions. If you know someone who is a CIBC World Markets client, please ask them to do the same and designate their net commissions to AFC. If you are a prime broker, please ask your IT people to run a client list of clients who have traded with CIBC World Markets. Please reach out to those clients and remind them to ask their client rep to designate AFC as the beneficiary of the net commissions. If you are an industry professional, please ask your clients if they trade with CIBC World Markets and if so, would they remember AFC on December 5th. Thank you for helping us spread the word that Advocates For Children is a participating charity for CIBC World Markets Miracle Day on December 5, 2007. CIBC World Markets is the wholesale and corporate banking arm of CIBC, providing a range of integrated and capital markets products, investment banking, and merchant banking to clients in key financial markets in North America and around the world. We deliver innovative capital solutions to growth-oriented companies and are broadly active in capital markets. We offer advisory expertise across a wide range of industries and provide top-ranked research for our corporate, government and institutional investor clients. March 2007 Kim Sweet, Esq , Education Reform Expert, Appointed as Executive Director of Advocates for Children - March 29,2007 The Board of Directors of Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) is excited to announce that Kim Sweet, Esq., has been appointed as the next Executive Director of AFC. Jamie Levitt, the Chair of AFC’s Board of Directors, stated on behalf of the Board: After an extensive and careful search for a new leader, we are thrilled that Kim Sweet has agreed to take over as the next Executive Director of AFC. Kim is a well-recognized expert in the field of education reform and a talented manager. With a legacy of accomplishments in the education field during the past ten years, she is the perfect choice to lead AFC and continue its groundbreaking work on behalf of the City’s school children and families. On behalf of AFC’s Board and staff, we enthusiastically welcome Kim to AFC and look forward to her official start in May. To read the full release, click here Elisa Hyman Leaves AFC - March 31, 2007 On March 31, 2007 Elisa Hyman left AFC. Matthew Lenaghan, AFC's Deputy Director, will continue to work in partnership with AFC"s Board during the transition to Kim Sweet's leadership. Concerning the appointment of AFC's next Executive Director, Ms. Hyman stated: "I have worked with Kim Sweet for more than 8 years. There is no better, more talented or well-respected person than Kim to lead the organization. I look forward to watching AFC continue to blossom and reach even greater heights under her brilliant and thoughtful guidance." Please click here to read the full January 9, 2007 press release. February 2007 Deputy Director Testifies Before City Council Education Committee - February 23,2007 On Friday, February 16, Advocates for Children's Deputy Director Matthew Lenaghan testified before the Education Committee of the New York City Council on Mayor Bloomberg's controversial Small Schools Initiative. While he acknowledged the findings of preliminary studies which indicate generally improved outcomes for students enrolled in the new small schools, his testimony raised concerns about the effect this initiative has had on traditionally overlooked student populations such as English language learners (ELLs), students with special education needs and overage and under-credited students. Mr. Lenaghan cited a discriminatory Department of Education policy which allows small high schools in their first two years of existence to reject ELLs and students with disabilities who need any kind of special education classroom as well as reports from community based organizations about the pushing out of overage and under-credited students as a result of the closure of many large comprehensive schools as two obvious examples of the failure of the Mayor's reforms. To read the full testimony, click here To view coverage from WABC-TV click here AFC Officially Launches Expanded Education Helpline - February 1, 2007 AFC, in parternship with the NYC Council, officially launched the Jill Chaifetz Education Helpline, named in honor of AFC's former Executive Director. The expanded Helpline will operate on Monday through Thursday, 10AM to 4PM. The toll-free number is 1-866-427-6033. Robert Jackson, Chair of the NYC Council's Education Committee and lead sponsor of the Educational Opportunities Initiative, said "Having one number to call for City school issues is a major benefit for all New York City parents. I am proud to stand in partnership with Advocates for Children in launching the Jill Chaifetz Citywide Education Hotline. This essential tool will assist City parents in navigating the complex and sometimes daunting school system, helping them be active participants in their child's education." Please click here to read the full press release. December 2006 AFC Nominated for CIBC Miracle Day November 2006 AFC and the New York Immigration Coalition Release a Joint Policy Report on Mayor Bloomberg's Small High School Initiative and English Language Learners AFC and NYIC held a press conference to release a report, titled "So Many Schools, So Few Options: How Mayor Bloomberg’s Small High School Reforms Deny Full Access to English Language Learners," which documents disturbing findings on how Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s signature small high school reform initiative is failing to meet the needs of immigrant and English language learners (ELL) students. The fifty-page report utilizes enrollment data from the New York City Department of Education to examine the representation of ELLs and immigrant students in both small and large schools, as well as the extent to which small high schools have not been created in areas with large and growing immigrant student populations. The report also investigates whether small schools are equipped with the required programs to help ELLs acquire English proficiency and excel in other subjects. The experiences of immigrant and ELL students as they navigate the high school admissions process is also evaluated in this comprehensive report. Please click here to access the report. June 2006 AFC Releases Policy Brief on No Child Left Behind Act Services AFC released a policy briefing on June 5, 2006 entitled An In-depth Look at Free Tutoring Services Under the No Child Left Behind Act in New York City: A Focus on English Language Learners. Please click here to access the report. AFC's 2nd Annual Young Professionals Summer Benefit We are pleased to announce that our 2nd Annual Young Professionals Summer Benefit, Cocktails, Cupcakes, and a Cause!, will be held at Marquee on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 at 8 p.m. Save the date! Please click here for more information. Tickets are available now. February 2006 Death of Our Former Executive Director It is with immense sadness that we inform you of the death of our Executive Director Jill Chaifetz, who died of ovarian cancer on February 2, 2006. To read more about Jill, please click here. Message from Jamie Levitt, President of the AFC Board Elisa Hyman Named Executive Director On February 6, 2006, the AFC Board of Directors unanimously approved Elisa's appointment as the next Executive Director of AFC. The Board is confident that Elisa's skills and leadership will guide AFC through this sad and difficult transition and the Board wants you to know that we have pledged our full support to assist AFC in any way that we can. The Board also commends Elisa for her compassion and her role in leading AFC through Jill's illness. We will all miss Jill tremendously and are committed to carrying on Jill's and AFC's mission. December 2005 AFC has been awarded a grant from the New York State Education Department to operate the New York State Technical and Education Assistance Center for Homeless Students (NYS-TEACHS), which provides information, referrals, and trainings to schools, school districts, social service providers, parents, and others about the educational rights of children and youth experiencing homelessness. Click here to go to the NYS-TEACHS website.