Robert Coleman (California)

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Robert Coleman

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2019

Education

Graduate

Stanford University

Personal

Profession

Educator

Contact

Personal Facebook

Robert Coleman ran in a special election to the San Francisco Unified Board of Education in California. Coleman lost in the special general election on November 5, 2019.

Coleman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Robert Coleman attended Stanford University for graduate study. His career experience includes working as an artist, attorney, editor, educator, MBA, and writer.

Elections

2019

See also: San Francisco Unified School District, California, elections (2019)

General election

Special general election for San Francisco Unified Board of Education

Incumbent Jenny Lam defeated Kirsten Strobel and Robert Coleman in the special general election for San Francisco Unified Board of Education on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Jenny Lam (Nonpartisan)	73.6	121,154
	Submit photo	Kirsten Strobel (Nonpartisan)	15.8	26,036
		Robert Coleman (Nonpartisan)	10.6	17,395

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 164,585
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign themes

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Robert Coleman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Coleman's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Educator, Public Interest Attorney, Stanford MBA, Editor, Writer, Performing Artist

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Let's inspire with more arts education, not less, with broader diversity and genuine inclusion. .
• Let's inspire by focusing more on excellence and less on city hall and its political power.
• Let's inspire more financial responsibility with an independent fiscal audit.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public education, nonviolence, social equity, stewardship of the natural world.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Gandhi, King, Mandela

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Gandhi's autobiography

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Consistent principles of equity and positive social health

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Students first, politics last.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

Guide, listen, lead from community-up and not from top-down

Who are your constituents?

Students, parents, teachers, staff, the community at large

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

Creativity, financial responsibility, equity

How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?

Everyone, with special outreach to the quietest, most vulnerable, and with most need.

What will you do to build a better relationship with parents in the district? What plans do you have to be inclusive of parental involvement?

Community meetings, concerts, public programs.

Do you believe it is important to intentionally recruit with the aim of diversifying the district’s faculty, staff, and administration? If so, what would be your policy to achieve this?

Yes. Complete strategies throughout that process, with greater consistency.

What issues get in the way of quality education? How would you address these obstacles?

Creative classrooms, arts participation, earlier, and more.

What constitutes good teaching? How will you measure this? How will you support advanced teaching approaches?

Love can be observed but not measured.

What type of skills should students be learning for success in the 21st century?

Discernment, philosophy, critical thinking, language and communication, then STEM is better served too.

How might you improve the value of a high school diploma? What should a 21st century diploma reflect?

Excellence in totality, full preparation for lifetime learning.

In what areas would you like to expand curriculum? For example, do you see a need for advanced technical training or apprenticeships? What sort of innovative programming would you advance if given the opportunity?

Arts.

What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?

Independent Audit. Advocacy.

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

Equity and personal investment through the arts.

How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?

Peace skills and professional support.

What role do you imagine technology playing in (and outside) the classroom in the future? How would you prepare the district for this?

Keep current but without passivity as purchasers.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2019 Elections

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Government

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External links

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