The Latino Education Advocacy Directors (LEAD) Coalition is a statewide coalition created to ensure the needs of Latino students in the New York State public schools and higher education systems are being met. The coalition is unified in support of a reform agenda that will enhance New York City and New York State’s P-16 public education system, creating a strong college and career access and success pipeline to improve the outcomes of Latino students.
This year we are focusing on legislative asks meant to:
● EXPAND ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ SOCIO-EMOTIONAL WELLNESS IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH HIGHER EDUCATION
● ENSURE COLLEGE ACCESS, RETENTION, AND CAREER READINESS SUPPORTS FOR LATINX STUDENTS
● INCREASE SUPPORT FOR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS & PARENT ENGAGEMENT IN PK-12
P-12 Education
BILLS TO CO-SPONSOR AND SUPPORT
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL WELLNESS
1. Increase Access to Mental Health Supports Across NYS schools
Students’ socio-emotional wellness is a priority to ensure successful academic development and mental health. The following bills will ensure that that their needs are met, especially critical in this moment given the traumatic impact of the pandemic, and in a moment when federal funding is being directed to districts to address these needs along with academic recovery.
Employ Mental Health Professionals in All K-12 School Districts. This bill ensures that all elementary, intermediate, middle, junior and senior high schools throughout New York State have a full-time licensed social worker and a full-time licensed psychologist on staff to meet the needs of their students.
Bill Number: S1969/A5019 (Jackson/Gonzalez-Rojas)Access to a licensed or certified social worker in all K-12 schools. Requires licensed or certified school social workers in each elementary, intermediate, middle, junior high and senior high school.
Bill Number: S1062/A7513 (Gounardes/Fernandez)Access to a guidance counselor for college and career supports. This bill relates to requiring guidance counselors in each elementary, intermediate, middle, junior high and senior high school.
Bill Number: S831/A7473 (Gounardes/Clark)Establish preventive mental health methods and trainings for educators, administrators, and school staff. This bill requires training for teachers, administrators, and instructors in the area of mental health first aid.
Bill Number: A2134 (Fernandez)Establish school disciplinary practices that are responsive to student trauma, developmentally appropriate, and drive towards creating safe and supportive educational spaces for all. This bill relates to school climate and codes of conduct on school property and disciplinary action following violation of such codes of conduct.
Bill Number: S7198/A5197 (Jackson/Nolan)Legislative Recommendations
COLLEGE AND CAREER ACCESS/SUCCESS
2. Expand Academic Opportunities and Financial Aid Support for Students Across NYS Schools. At the K-12 level, equitable access to academic readiness and financial aid opportunities can pave the way for students to access and succeed in their postsecondary journey.
Ensure Access to Rigorous Coursework. This bill requires schools to provide notice to parents on the availability of advanced courses, and other early college and career experiences; and requires educational agencies to adopt a policy for automatic enrollment in advanced courses where a student has demonstrated readiness, pursuant to measures determined by the Commissioner of Education.
Bill Number: S1111/A4407 (Liu/People-Stokes)
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS & PARENT ENGAGEMENT
3. Support for Multilingual Learners and parents must be supported through the following legislative asks:
Language Assistance to Multilingual Parents in NYS. Establishes the Education Equity Act which provides language assistance to parents/guardians who have children enrolled in public school and who do not speak English.
Bill Number: A407/S1429 (Rozic/Serrano)Increase Aid for English Learners Students Enrollment. Relates to aid for substantial enrollment growth and growth in enrollment of English language learner students.
Bill Number: S203/A906 (Kaplan/Magnarelli)Language Assistance Program for Parents. Requires school districts to establish a language assistance program for limited English proficient parents of students; requires record keeping and annual reporting; permits districts to jointly establish such programs.
Bill Number: S4968 (Parker)A Diverse Teacher Workforce. Support the establishment of teacher programs that increase representation and retention of underrepresented teachers. This bill supports the teachers of tomorrow program by providing grants and procedures to increase recruitment and retention resources.
Bill Number: S342/A4556 (Persaud/Hyndman)
higher education
BILLS TO CO-SPONSOR AND SUPPORT
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL WELLNESS
4. Access to mental health staff members at SUNY and CUNY campuses. Relates to requiring at least a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per one thousand students on all SUNY and CUNY campuses.
Bill Number: S844/A302 (Gounardes/Gottfried)
COLLEGE AND CAREER ACCESS/SUCCESS
5. Continue and Prioritize the Smart Scholars and P-TECH
Smart Scholars Early College High School Program and P-TECH programs further prepare students for college and postsecondary success. This program provides various students, including those traditionally underrepresented in post-secondary education, with the opportunity to access college-level courses and college degree credits at the
high school level with the combined support of high school and college staff and resources, and for the NYS P-TECH programs, career training and employment in a highly skilled job upon completion of the program.
Bill Number: S6825/A8284 (Mayer/Hunter)
6. Transcript Withholding - Ensure SUNY and CUNY no longer withhold students’ transcripts due to outstanding debt to the school.
Bill Number: A6938A/S5924A (Epstein/Thomas)
