Executive Director at Advocates for Children of New York

Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) strives to ensure a high-quality education for New York students who face barriers to academic success, focusing on students who face obstacles in their learning and students from low-income backgrounds.

About the Organization

Of the over 1 million students enrolled in New York City public schools, over 20% are classified as needing special education services, and 72% live in poverty. A staggering number of these students need additional assistance or support to succeed academically, forcing their families to navigate complicated systems to access those resources.

Our vision is that all New York City students receive the education they need to maximize their potential as adults. Since 1971, AFC has served New York City students from birth through age 26, focusing on students from low-income backgrounds who are struggling in school or experiencing school discrimination of any kind, including suspensions, inappropriate class placement, or denial of necessary services.

No matter what challenges a child and their family face, we advise them regarding their specific situation and work with the family to ensure that they receive the educational services they are legally entitled to. In 2025-26, we provided assistance in nearly 6,700 education-related matters for over 5,000 unique clients. Our workshops trained more than 9,000 families, educators, and professionals to protect students' educational rights.

AFC works side by side with families and students, providing the guidance to navigate complex systems and advocating for their needs, while pressing for structural reforms that benefit all students. Our unique model uses a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates advice and legal representation for families, know-your-rights trainings and workshops, policy advocacy, and impact litigation. Our services are free for families to access.

About the Role

AFC is seeking an inspirational, strategic, and mission-driven Executive Director (ED) to lead the organization to and through its next chapter. The next ED will further the organization’s impact, with the goal to scale our reach and serve more New York City children and families. The incoming leader will design and execute the roadmap to that goal, first by aligning our operational infrastructure to support these expanded services, and fostering systems and an organizational culture that empowers our staff to deliver excellent programmatic outcomes to more families.

The ED will also champion the organization externally, ensuring that AFC remains positioned as a leading voice advocating for educational justice in New York City. This is a unique opportunity to draw on over 50 years of organizational expertise and community trust while leading organizational modernization and systems enhancement to expand impact for children and families across our city.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Develop and execute a five-year strategic plan, ensuring AFC's mission and sustainable operational and financial growth while remaining at the forefront of educational justice
• Assess and prepare the organization to scale our impact, bolstering the structures and systems that support long-term sustainability
• Foster a strengthened organizational and team culture that upholds our mission and values
• Sustain and evolve AFC's equality and inclusion efforts (including our DEI, disability access, and other advisory groups) to enhance our ability to develop community-informed solutions
• Drive strategic decision-making in areas such as fundraising, policy, advocacy, and organizational growth

• Lead as both a strategist who can articulate the vision, and a manager in a roll up your sleeves culture
• Develop innovative operating models that increase capacity, empower programmatic and functional leads, and establish clear expectations and accountability for organizational outcomes
• Authentically lead in an impassioned, high-touch, and people-centered culture, ensuring that staff continue to feel heard, valued, and supported, while centering impact and…