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Coleman is hiring a Lead Organizer! Please spread the word about this exciting opportunity to join the Coleman team. Click here to download the job announcement.
Help Coleman, SF Rising, and CA Calls to build the momentum in our communities to change Prop 13!
 What: Volunteer to support Prop 13 Voter Education
When: Saturday, May 30, 10-2pm
Where: Filipino Community Center, 4681 Mission Street @ Persia
In 1978, Prop 13 froze property tax levels which had an immediate and devastating impact on funding for California public education and other services. While a benefit to homeowners, the real giveaway was to big corporate landlords who, since passage of Prop 13, have gotten out of paying their fair share in property taxes!
The Make It Fair campaign is working on building support for "commercial property tax reform", which would still protect homeowners, but would make sure that big companies are contributing to our schools and other important services. Commercial property tax reform would bring in $9 billion to the state of California and $690 million to San Francisco!
On Saturday May 30th, we will be hitting the streets, talking to voters and building support for this important issue. Will you join us? To RSVP for the 30th and/or to get on a list to be informed about future volunteer opportunities, email Chelsea.
p.s. If you haven't already, sign Sign the Make it Fair campaign petition today! To add your organization's name to the list of endorsees, visit the campaign website. For more information about the Make It Fair campaign in San Francisco, contact SF Rising Coordinator Mario Yedidia.
5/21: Black Lives Matter at Work
When: Thursday, May 21st 6:30-8:30pm
Where: United Here Local 2 209 Golden Gate Ave, SF by Civic Center BART.
 Join us at this Jobs with Justice forum connecting economic justice, racial justice and Black liberation.
Featuring ALICIA GARZA, Co-creator #BlackLivesMatter and Special Projects Director of NDWA, leading Black domestic worker organizing, STEVE PITTS, UC Berkeley Labor Center and National Black Worker Center Project, CHRIS HIGGENBOTHAM, Fight for $15 leader, McDonald's worker and Oakland teacher, and DERRICK BOUTTE, Social and Economic Justice Chair and member leader of SEIU 1021.
Moderated by NEVA WALKER, ED of Coleman Advocates.
Discussion to follow panel. Spanish interpretation available.
RSVP and share on Facebook.
Oakland ends suspensions for willful defiance, funds restorative justice
 Last Wednesday night the Oakland Unified School Board voted unanimously on a policy to end suspensions and involuntary transfers for “willful defiance and disruption” as of July 1, 2016. Earlier that day, the OUSD superintendent announced a commitment to meet the community demand to put $2.3 million into restorative justice and prevention programs. This victory is a result of relentless organizing and push-back from members of the community, led by the Black Organizing Project.
Coleman was honored to support BOP as partners in the Dignity in Schools Campaign Bay Area Chapter. We were able to offer our SFUSD Safe and Supportive Schools Resolution as a model policy and lessons learned from our Solutions Not Suspensions campaign. We look forward to continuing to work closely with our partners in Oakland and also spreading our collective wisdom and accumulated best practices to school districts throughout California, and beyond!
Click here to read BOP's statement about their milestone policy and budget victories and what they mean for OUSD students.
Close the Gap Coalition weighs in on SFUSD Budget Priorities
 On April 25th, educators, parents, students, and community activists came together to discuss how we can hold the SFUSD accountable in spending new resources through the state-mandated Local Control Accountability Plan, with a particular focus on fully supporting school discipline reforms that have come out of last year’s Safe & Supportive Schools Resolution.
The forum was sponsored by the Close the Gap Coalition which includes Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, Coleman Advocates, Jobs with Justice, SEIU Local 1021, and United Educators of San Francisco. Coleman’s Director of Education Policy Christina Canaveral helped develop the forum agenda with input from our parent members and facilitated the day’s activities. Coleman parent leaders participated in strategy sessions and decision-making processes to come up with a set of recommendations for district budget allocations and policy priorities.
Priority recommendations that came out of the forum include:
• Every teacher should be supported in every classroom with a paraprofessional or other support staff, e.g. social worker, literacy coach. This will decrease the adult to student ratio and provide much needed support for teachers and students.
• Every school should invest in the development of a comprehensive Family Engagement Plan, designed by parents, students, teachers, staff, and administrators. An essential component of each plan should be compensation for teachers to carry out consistent and meaningful relationship building efforts/activities with families.
• A fully staffed Wellness Space with wrap around supports – including learning/educational opportunities – at every school. It is essential that when students are removed from the classroom, even for short periods of time, that they are not just going to the “office” but rather are continuing to engage in their learning.
 Last Tuesday May 12th, Coleman staff, members, and our partners in the Close the Gap Resolution shared our recommendations at the SFUSD Board of Education meeting. We received positive feedback from Board members and we look forward to working with them to ensure that our recommendations are reflected in the SFUSD budget.
Education highlights from Gov. Brown’s revised budget
 California is expected to get $6.7 billion more in revenue than originally anticipated in the January budget, bringing the total budget for K-12 in 2015-16 to $83 billion from all sources, according to Gov. Jerry Brown’s revised budget proposal. Based on how Proposition 98 works, $6.1 billion of that extra state revenue is earmarked for K-12 schools and community colleges – a big win for education.
Click here for a detailed breakdown of the increases to California K-12, preschool, community college, CSU, and UC budgets included in the Governor’s May budget revision. For a more comprehensive (not exclusively education-focused) overview, check out this report and summary by the California Budget & Policy Center.
In the news:
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