The WNY Education Alliance is a non-profit organization committed to improving education in the Western New York area through advocacy, community engagement, and strategic partnerships. School closures exacerbated existing inequities in the educational system and highlighted the need for a new breed of independent educational organizations to introduce innovative approaches to improve student outcomes. Initially focused on safely reopening schools and addressing the learning loss caused by disruptions to in-person education, the organization expanded its priorities to include addressing educational gaps and supporting enrichment programs in the community. To support growth opportunities for local students, WNY Education Alliance partners with teachers, schools, community groups, consultants, child development experts, and other non-profit organizations. Our partners thus far include the We the Parents organization, author and speaker Duncan Kirkwood, the Buffalo United Charter School, PS 54 Dr. George Blackman ECC school, teachers, the Ed-Trust NY, the WNY Literacy Collaborative, and many more. Some of our projects include The 180 Day Project, an initiative highlighting the desperate need to keep children in school for 180 days following three years of disruptions to in-person instruction. This project included successful advocacy of the Test-To-Stay program in Western New York Schools. We also launched The Mind the Gap Project to help address learning loss associated with school closures during the pandemic. Given the chronic absenteeism, mental health issues, and academic challenges, this work has taken on increase importance. We are currently focused on literacy issues in WNY and Buffalo and dedicated advocacy for structured literacy, the Science of Reading, and high quality curriculum and instructional material.
