On April 3, EdTrust-New York’s executive director Arlen Benjamin-Gomez joined Lisette Nieves, president of the Fund for the City of New York, and Denise Forte, president and CEO of EdTrust national, to discuss EdTrust-New York’s recent impact report and how the organization can build on the momentum to act with urgency and speak truth to power in the coming years.
The conversation about EdTrust-New York’s impact and executive director Arlen Benjamin-Gomez’s leadership comes at a critical time across the country — and here in New York — as public education is under attack.
- In the past three years alone, EdTrust-New York helped pass 16 pieces of state and local legislation, securing over $5 billion in Foundation Aid, billions more for child care and early college access, and $10 million to begin tackling the literacy crisis.
- Since Arlen Benjamin-Gomez began serving as executive director, EdTrust-New York stepped up to fight for equitable school funding by growing our internal expertise on school funding and the Foundation Aid formula. EdTrust-New York’s advocacy shaped key elements of the Rockefeller Institute’s December report, helping secure policy recommendations now influencing this year’s budget, including improvements in how we measure poverty and additional funding weights for multilingual learners.
All of this — and more — has helped the EdTrust-New York team build a collective, equity-centered vision for education in New York — one that extends from early learning through college and into careers.
Looking ahead, EdTrust-New York will navigate federal threats — like potential cuts to Head Start, Title I, and student loans — while seizing state-level opportunities to increase educational equity. EdTrust-New York is well-positioned to build on its impact in several key areas:
- Strengthening the Foundation Aid formula and fighting back against federal funding cuts
- Expanding teacher and school leader diversity
- Defending against national policy threats to student safety and opportunity
- Ensuring immigrant students are safe and receive quality instruction in multilingual learner programs
Learn more about what’s next for EdTrust-New York by watching the video recap. You can help keep the momentum going by donating here.