New York

Over the last year the A+ NYC coalition held countless workshops and visited every corner of the city in a big blue bus, gathering perspectives on how to create a world-class school system where every student can succeed. The result is the PS 2013 Education Roadmap for the Next Mayor — an unparalleled set of recommendations that sketch an inspiring vision of an education system that treasures the complexity of children and their communities; equips schools with the tools to prepare students for a range of destinies; and works interdependently to leverage the city’s vast resources in service of schools.

A report from New York City Comptroller John Liu compares the city's pervasive use of zero-tolerance discipline policies in schools to the city's controversial and discriminatory stop-and-frisk practices. While the report is particular to NYC schools, its analysis of the school pushout crisis and what needs to change can be readily applied to any district in the country, which makes it a terrific resources for advocates and organizers.

The 2013 KIDS COUNT Data Book provides a detailed picture of how children are faring in the United States. In addition to ranking states on overall child well-being, the Data Book ranks states in four domains: Economic Well-Being, Education, Health, and Family and Community.

This report card on New York State's progress in improving public education is far from stellar. The report card finds that the state is moving in the right direction only in expanding access to pre-K and creating community schools. Otherwise, New York's policymakers are failing to ensure equity for all students in areas like expanded learning time, providing challenging and engaging curriculum, school climate, and school funding. Providing these resources and opportunities are the standards by which every state and and policymaker should be held accountable.