School Climate
As students continue to recover from the pandemic, mental health and social-emotional support are critical. We also need inclusive school cultures that prioritize recruiting and retaining educators and school staff of color, which is essential to meeting the needs of New York State’s diverse student population.
As schools continue to recover from the pandemic, mental health and social-emotional support and inclusive school cultures that prioritize recruiting and retaining educators, school leaders, and counselors of color are essential to meeting the needs of New York State’s diverse student population.
Our Equity-Centered Approach
We support policies that increase the number of counselors, educators and school leaders of color in school buildings, provide mental and health services in schools, holistically address chronic absenteeism, implement restorative justice practices, and other positive alternatives that keep students in the classroom. Such policies mitigate disruption in learning and dismantle barriers that prohibit children from attending school and feeling welcomed once there.
Latest Resource
Report: School Leader Diversity in New York State
School leader diversity benefits students from all backgrounds and is an important factor affecting students’ success in schools. Attending a school with a principal of color has positive impacts on academic outcomes for students of color. Yet school leader diversity statewide reveals that more than half of students attend schools without any leader of color.
Featured Reports and Resources Over the Years
Blog: In NYCPS, Brown v. Board remains…unfulfilled
Statement: EdTrust-New York Denounces New Policy on Immigration Arrests in Schools
Report: New York State’s Suspension Crisis
Blog: 5 Things to Know About the Influx of Migrant Students in New York
Data Snapshot
Only
of young adults in New York State said they had access to mental health supports in high school.
In the 2022-23 school year, nearly half of Black (46.4%) and Latinx (43.7%) students were chronically absent, compared to just 24.7% of White students.
More Resources
Event Recap: Moving New York Forward: A Look at EdTrust-New York’s Recent Impact
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.
New York Must Act Now to Ensure Equity for All Students as President Trump calls to Eliminate the U.S. Department of Education
The Department of Education plays a key role in upholding equality protections for students. Without it, New York risks rolling back progress in addressing systemic inequities, leaving students unprotected from discrimination.
The Elimination of the Department of Education and Its Devastating Impact on New York’s Students
Instead of allowing political games to dismantle the education system, New York leaders must focus on solutions that strengthen education and address the real challenges we face such as underfunded schools, teacher shortages, and post-pandemic recovery.
Advancing Black History in Education: Bright Spots from New York State
At the core of any curriculum is the school community — its culture, educators, and the materials that reflect the diversity of its students. A district in NYS’ adoption of this Black Studies curriculum is one example of prioritizing and advancing Black history in the classroom, and similar efforts are taking shape across the state to support educators in teaching Black history.
EdTrust-New York Denounces Trump Administration’s Policy on Immigration Arrests in Schools
EdTrust-New York strongly condemns the Trump administration’s decision to allow federal immigration agencies to make arrests at schools. This policy directly threatens the safety and well-being of students who are undocumented and from mixed-status families, driving many to avoid school out of fear. Schools must remain safe, welcoming, and supportive environments for all students and their families, regardless of immigration status. This policy directly undermines that core principle.
EdTrust-New York Responds to NY Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2025 State of the State Address
EdTrust-New York calls for stronger commitments to educational equity and looks forward to collaborating with the Governor and Legislature to ensure the inclusion of the following proposals in the final 2025 State Budget.