Our Coalitions & Strategic Partnerships
Meaningful systems change happens through collective effort — and no organization can do it alone.
OUR APPROACH TO PARTNERSHIP
Building Power Through Collaboration
CADRE builds education justice coalitions across South Los Angeles and beyond, connecting parent-led organizing with local, statewide, and national movements for school equity.
At CADRE, lasting change comes from collective, community-driven action. Our partnerships with grassroots organizations, legal advocates, and policy leaders strengthen parent leadership and protect the educational and human rights of Black and Brown families in South Los Angeles.
We collaborate with partners at the local, statewide, and national level to align strategy, deepen organizing practices, and advance policy solutions that reflect the real needs of Black and Brown families. Through these coalitions, the experiences and leadership of South LA parents help shape education justice efforts, from South Los Angeles to across the country.
Dignity in Schools Campaign National (DSC)
CADRE is a co-founding member of the Dignity in Schools Campaign (DSC) — one of the nation’s largest coalitions of education advocates, parents, youth organizers, and community organizations working to end the school-to-prison pipeline.
Through DSC, CADRE contributes parent leadership and organizing expertise to campaigns promoting safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments across the country. The coalition works to transform school discipline policies, advance restorative and healing-centered approaches to school climate, and elevate the voices of families most impacted by exclusionary discipline and systemic inequities.
Dignity in Schools Campaign California
CADRE is a co-founding and leading member of the Dignity in Schools Campaign California (DSC CA), a statewide movement building coalition working to end punitive school discipline practices and promote restorative, supportive school environments.
DSC CA expands our movement’s political opportunities to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline, repair the intergenerational harm it has caused, and craft systemic alternatives for multiple generations. CADRE’s partnership ensures that local parent leadership in South LA informs and is informed by broader statewide advocacy efforts. Learn more about our work together from DSC CA’s Membership Highlights.
Police Free Schools (PFS) LAUSD Coalition
Through the Police Free Schools (PFS) LAUSD Coalition, CADRE works with community partners to end school policing and redirect education funding toward mental health services, counseling, and restorative practices.
Together, we organize for school environments that are safe, nurturing, healing-centered, and free from racialized criminalization.
This coalition played a key role in winning a historic reinvestment of school policing funds into the Black Student Achievement Plan (BSAP) — securing a continued $120 million annual investment in resources and supports for Black youth and families. The coalition continues working to ensure LAUSD remains committed to police-free schools and community-based safety solutions.
Collective for Liberatory Lawyering (C4LL)
In partnership with the Collective for Liberatory Lawyering (C4LL), CADRE integrates grassroots parent organizing with legal strategy.
Together, we develop legal-organizing frameworks that analyze and expose racial disparities in school policing, suspensions and expulsions, citations and arrests, and disciplinary data across school systems. This work equips communities with tools to demand transparency, challenge unjust policies, and push for systemic reform.
The partnership also supports parents navigating school discipline issues, police harassment, IEP challenges, and hostile or exclusionary school environments across Los Angeles public and charter schools.
Parent Organization Network (PON)
As an active member of the Parent Organization Network (PON), CADRE collaborates with parent leaders and community organizations across Los Angeles County and throughout California.
This cross-district alliance builds collective power to advance authentic parent engagement, racial justice in education policy, and community-informed school governance — strengthening CADRE’s ability to advocate for education systems that reflect the voices and priorities of families across our communities.
Families Lead California (FLC)
CADRE is a partner in Families Lead California (FLC), a statewide initiative of the Heising-Simons Foundation that brings together parent-led organizations committed to advancing policies that allow all children to thrive.
FLC is rooted in the belief that parents are experts in their children’s lives — and that strong parent leadership is essential for meaningful systems change. Through this network, CADRE collaborates with organizations across California to examine how literacy access, school climate, and discipline practices intersect, particularly for low-income Black and Brown students disproportionately impacted by exclusionary policies.
Fix School Discipline
CADRE works with statewide partners through the Fix School Discipline coalition to eliminate harsh discipline practices that criminalize and push students out of school.
Through sustained organizing and policy advocacy, this coalition helped secure passage of SB 274, which prohibits public and charter schools in California from suspending students for minor behaviors — often categorized as “willful defiance.” These policy victories represent a major shift toward positive, fair, and supportive discipline systems that keep students in school.
CADRE parents continue to play a central role in monitoring how these policies are implemented across schools and districts.
Support Us
Our coalitions and partnerships reflect the strength and power of collective action. By working in solidarity with organizations and families, we’re building an educational system that respects, protects, and uplifts every student and parent — especially in historically disinvested communities. We invite you to learn more about our coalition work and join us in the fight for educational justice and racial equity.