Menu
Coleman Advocates is founded in San Francisco, CA
Coleman wins major juvenile justice system reforms to stop the incarceration of youth arrested for truancy or running away.
Voters pass Proposition D, funding after school programs for youth after Coleman Advocates persuades SF Board of Supervisors to sponsor a Ballot Initiative.
Voters pass landmark Children’s Amendment guaranteeing funds each year specifically for children’s services and programs and resourcing a new SF Department of Children, Youth and Families; San Francisco becomes the first city in the country to establish guaranteed children’s funding.
Coleman launches Youth Making a Change (YMAC) and YouthVote ensuring that young people are directly involved in the allocation of Children’s Amendment resources.
Coleman launches Parent Advocates for Youth (PAY) as a vehicle for involving and developing grassroots parent leadership on issues related to children and schools. PAY was later renamed Parents Making a Change (PMAC).
Voters pass city-funded Youth Commission to ensure official youth input on any policy impacting young people.
Coleman wins city funding for the first 5 Beacon Centers, offering a broad range of youth programs before and after school, on weekends, and during the summer.
Coleman successfully advocates for model Wellness Centers at 7 High Schools, creating a safe space for students to get professional support at no cost during times of stress. Wellness Centers are now in every High School in San Francisco.
Coleman leads successful campaign to reauthorize the Children’s Amendment until 2016 and to increase the Children’s Fund.
Coleman buys a home!
Coleman helps create the SF Parent Advisory Council so parents have a direct line of communication and way to influence decision-making by the SF School Board.
Coleman provides leadership in the Great Schools Campaign and wins the allocation of up to $60 million a year in funds to restore arts, sports, music, and learning programs.
Coleman develops a new strategic plan that formalizes a hybrid model combining community-organizing and base-building with powerful advocacy.
Coleman advocates for, and gets the Board of Ed to adopt, a Close the Racial Achievement Gap resolution with a goal that at least 60% of High School students of every racial group receive the education they need and are on track to attend college.
Coleman wins SFUSD “A-G” Policy designed to graduate all SFUSD students so they are ready either for college or career.
Coleman and eight ally organizations launch San Francisco Rising to build political power in low-income communities of color.
Coleman hosts the SF Rising field operation to pass Prop 30, the state-wide increase in income tax on wealthy individuals that brings in millions of dollars each year for local school districts.
Coleman and allies persuade Board of Supes to pass $2.3 million in supplemental funds for SFUSD to support the 1,800 students at high risk of not graduating.
Coleman participates in state-level advocacy to win Local Control Funding Formula legislation that creates a more equitable allocation of public education funding.
Coleman wins the first phase of its Solutions Not Suspensions Campaign with the passage of the Safe and Supportive Schools Resolution, transforming the district’s approach to school discipline.
After three years of negotiation, the Board of Ed approves a new MOU between the school district and the San Francisco Police Department to reduce student arrests and police presence on campus.
Coleman leads a 2-year coalition effort to develop and win the passage of Prop C, the “Children and Families First” initiative. Prop C renews more than $125 million in annual funding for school and children’s programs across the city, for the next 25 years.
Coleman launches Children Making a Change – a cutting-edge academic support, skill-building, and political education program for the children of PMAC members.
Coleman supports SFUSD to develop a School Discipline Matrix that describes step-by-step measures and resources for addressing student behavior issues with Restorative Practices and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports.
Coleman launches regional education equity capacity-building initiative to support school districts, CBOs and groups of students and parents throughout Northern CA.
Coleman and allies launch Bay Rising network to advance equity at the regional level through coordinated civic engagement and public policy change efforts.