Coleman Advocate's Major Milestones

1975

Coleman Advocates is founded in San Francisco, CA.

1983

Coleman wins major juvenile justice system reforms to stop the incarceration of youth arrested for truancy or running away.

1986

Voters pass Proposition D, funding after school programs for youth after Coleman Advocates persuades SF Board of Supervisors to sponsor a Ballot Initiative.

1991

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.

1991

Coleman launches Youth Making a Change (YMAC) and YouthVote ensuring that young people are directly involved in the allocation of Children’s Amendment resources.

1994

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).

1995

Voters pass city-funded Youth Commission to ensure official youth input on any policy impacting young people.

1997

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.

2000

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.

2001

Coleman leads successful campaign to reauthorize the Children’s Amendment until 2016 and to increase the Children’s Fund.

2002

Coleman buys a home!

2003

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.

2004

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.

2006

Coleman develops a new strategic plan that formalizes a hybrid model combining community-organizing and base-building with powerful advocacy.

2008

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.

2009

Coleman wins SFUSD “A-G” Policy designed 
to graduate all SFUSD students so they are ready either for college or career.

2010

Coleman and eight ally organizations launch San Francisco Rising to build political power in low-income communities of color.

2012

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.

2013

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.

2013

Coleman participates in state-level advocacy to win Local Control Funding Formula legislation that creates a more equitable allocation of public education funding.

2014

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.

2014

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.

2014

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.

2015

Coleman launches Children Making a Change – a cutting-edge academic support, skill-building, and political education program for the children of PMAC members.

2015

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.

2016

Coleman launches regional education equity capacity-building initiative to support school districts, CBOs and groups of students and parents throughout Northern CA.

2016

Coleman and allies launch Bay Rising network to advance equity at the regional level through coordinated civic engagement and public policy change efforts.