Advocates for Children of New York works on behalf of children who are at greatest risk for school-based discrimination and/or academic failure due to poverty, disability, race, ethnicity, immigrant or English Language Learner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, homelessness, or involvement in the foster care or juvenile justice systems.
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Spotlight
Fall 2021 Attendance Data Show Urgent Need to Address Persistently Low Attendance Among Students Living in Shelter
05.18.2022 | Today, Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) released a new policy brief, Still Disconnected: Persistently Low Attendance Rates for Students in Shelter, highlighting alarmingly low attendance rates for students living in homeless shelters and calling on the New York City Department of Education (DOE) to direct federal COVID-19... Continue reading
Response to City’s Announcement of Plans to Support Students with Dyslexia
05.12.2022 | Kim Sweet, Executive Director of Advocates for Children of New York (AFC), issued the following statement in response to Mayor Adams and Chancellor Banks’ announcement of plans to support students with dyslexia: For decades, AFC has been advocating for low-income students who are struggling with reading and have been unable to... Continue reading
New Report Highlights Next Steps for Revamping Reading Instruction in New York City: 70 Orgs Join Call to Collective Action
05.02.2022 | Today, Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) released a new report, Reaching Every Reader: The Path Forward, summarizing key takeaways from last December’s Literacy Summit--a day-long virtual event jointly hosted by AFC, the NYC Department of Education (DOE), and the ARISE Coalition—and articulating a clear vision for improving... Continue reading
30 Organizations Call on NYC to Increase Educational Supports in Shelters
04.29.2022 | More than 30 organizations released a letter calling on Mayor Adams and Chancellor Banks to use federal COVID-19 relief funding specifically designated for students in temporary housing to hire 150 shelter-based Department of Education Community Coordinators. Community Coordinators can provide crucial supports for students in... Continue reading
AFC in the News
Op-ed: Making sure every student learns to read: What happens next?
05.26.2022 | Crain's New York Business | In my 25 years as an education advocate in New York City, one constant has been the numerous calls—hundreds each year—from frustrated parents whose children are struggling with reading and cannot find the help they need in the public school system. One of the most fundamental responsibilities of schools is... Continue reading
Education advocates want $6M in recurring funding to improve communication with immigrant families
05.26.2022 | Politico (Pro) | Advocates want a $6 million annual investment starting this upcoming fiscal year to develop a permanent, central system for Department of Education officials to communicate with immigrant families. A working group — made up of roughly 20 organizations that serve English language learners — has been collaborating... Continue reading
NYC Youth in Shelters Face School Attendance Challenges
05.24.2022 | Public News Service | Jennifer Pringle, project director at Advocates for Children of New York, said it is disrupting the lifeline education can be for young people. "If you want to break the cycle of homelessness, we have to make sure that our young people right now who are experiencing homelessness get an education," Pringle... Continue reading
Opinion: New York is failing students in shelter
05.23.2022 | NY Daily News | No child should ever have to live in a shelter — but for the thousands of New York City children who do, more support is desperately needed. The pandemic has deepened housing insecurity and exacerbated race, class, and gender-based inequities for countless New York children and families. A new report from the... Continue reading