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The Coleman Report • June 25, 2014

A weekly update on issues, policies and actions affecting children, youth and families in San Francisco.

Coleman is hiring! Please check out and share the job announcement for a Parent Organizer.

CHILDREN’S FUNDING LEGISLATION FINALIZED!

We have final legislation! Called the "Children and Families First" Initiative, the legislation includes the Children's Amendment, the Public Education and Enrichment Fund a new Children and Families Council to coordinate services citywide, and now also the Rainy Day Fund.

We have a lot to celebrate: more than 75% of the recommendations that the Children’s Funding Community Coalition made were included in the legislation! Among the recommendations adopted were the following significant reforms:

In the Children’s Fund, the inclusion of disconnected transitional age youth through age 24, to ensure we provide a continuum of services that support young people transitioning to adulthood!
An increase for the Children’s Fund, from $.03 to $.04 of every $100 of assessed property value, to meet unmet need for children and youth 0-17 in San Francisco, as well as for disconnected transitional age youth!
Creation of a new Oversight Committee for the Department of Children, Youth and their Families, to ensure transparency and accountability!
A longer extension of the Children’s Fund and Public Education and Enrichment Fund, so they are both in place through 2040!
The elimination of the trigger for PEEF, as well as the removal of language about “in-kind contributions”, amounting to more financial resources for our schools!

Next steps in the process include:

Monday 6/30 @ 2pm: Last Rules Committee, where they will send the legislation to the full board
Tuesday 7/8 @ 2pm: “Children and Families First” legislation appears at the full Board of Supervisors
Tuesday 7/15 @ 1pm: Press Conference, celebrating the final legislation, on the steps of City Hall (before the vote)
Tuesday 7/15 @ 2pm: Final vote on “Children and Families First” legislation at the Board of Supervisors, placing it on the ballot for November

Join us on Tuesday, July 15^th at 1pm for a press conference on the steps of City Hall, right before the vote at the Board of Supervisors! We are confident that, with the strong leadership of Supervisors Avalos, Yee and Kim, as well as Supervisors Campos, Cohen and Mar, the legislation will be placed on the November ballot with full support of the Board. That said, after two years of hard work, we want to celebrate our victory and start to build public support for this measure!

Click here to read the final legislation or here to check out a legislative briefing.

Questions? Contact Chelsea Boilard at cboilard@colemanadvocates.org.

COLEMAN JOINS MISSISSIPPI FREEDOM SUMMER 50^TH ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE

Coleman staffer Kevine Boggess and youth leader Jessica Inson flew out to Jackson Mississippi on Monday, as part of the Alliance for Education Justice Youth Justice Corp, to participate in the Mississippi Freedom Summer 50^th Anniversary Conference and the affiliated Youth Congress.

The conference has been organized to recognize the accomplishments of those who worked for changes to the politically segregated Mississippi and to discuss how to continue the struggle toward Mississippi reaching its full potential for all of its citizens. The Youth Congress is an historic gathering of young people from across the country training, building strategic relationships, and gaining resources in organizing and building political power.

Kevine and Jessica will participate in trainings, workshops and strategy dialogue sessions all week. Workshop topics range from School to Prison Pipeline to Minimum Wage Organizing to the National Student Bill of Rights, among others. Additionally, Kevine and Jessica will be interviewing leaders from youth organizations around the country to glean inspiration, ideas, and best practices for our work back in San Francisco. They will also be supporting local canvassing efforts to register people to vote and educate the community about a state ballot initiative that will ensure that every public school district in receives state support to provide the basics for a good education.

COLEMAN ‘TAKE BACK THE SUMMER’ PARTY BRINGS TOGETHER COMMUNITY AND LIFTS UP LOCAL YOUTH TALENT

Thanks to everyone who came out to Coleman’s annual Summer Party on Saturday! It was a huge success with over 200 people of all ages (from babies to elders!) participating in an afternoon of celebration, music, art, dancing, BBQ, and more! This year’s event was designed and organized by YMAC youth leaders and included an unveiling of the stunning new youth-produced mural (made possible by support from the SF Youth Empowerment Fund) on the walls of the Coleman community room, as well as a showcase of local youth performers. YMAC youth leaders applied for and received grants from the Youth Leadership Institute BLING program and the San Francisco Foundation Arts and Culture Program to curate this cultural extravaganza. The showcase featured dancers, poets, DJs, musicians…and a balloon artist for the little ones. Special shout outs to our tireless BBQ volunteers and others who manned multiple stations throughout the event. We couldn’t have done it without you!