On Our Watch: Preparing Urban Students for Life, Leadership, and Academic Excellence 
Join teachers, researchers, parents, students, administrators and community groups for
On Our Watch: Preparing Urban Students for Life, Leadership, and Academic Excellence, April 25-26, 2008, in Oakland to share best practices for improving student outcomes in urban schools. The symposium features small school tours, workshops by local teachers and scholars, and keynote speeches by
Dr. Pedro Noguera of New York University and
Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond of the School Redesign Network at Stanford University.
Please note - registration is now closed. 
On Our Watch will bring together a wide range of education stakeholders to work on creating equitable and high-achieving urban small schools through powerful teaching and learning strategies. The symposium will provide participants with insights and tools to take back and use in their classrooms, schools, and communities. Click here for directions to On Our Watch.
Opening Reception - Friday, April 25, 6:00pm
The opening reception will take place at 6:00pm on Friday, April 25, at Preservation Park's Ginn House, 1233 Preservation Park Way (at Martin Luther King Jr. Way and 13th). The reception will feature a keynote address from Dr. Pedro Noguera, Professor at New York University's Steinhardt School of Education, renowned expert on urban school reform, and author of several milestone works, including Beyond Resistance: Youth Activism and Community Change, and Unfinished Business: Closing the Achievement Gap in Our Schools, which examined the achievement gap at Berkeley High School. Dr. Noguera will discuss his new book, The Trouble With Black Boys: And Other Reflections on Race, Equity, and the Future of Public Education. Advance copies of the book will be available for purchase at the reception.
Plenary Keynote Speaker - Saturday, April 26, 9:00am
The opening plenary speaker on Saturday, April 26 will be Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, Co-Executive Director of the School Redesign Network at Stanford University, and recently named one of the 10 most influential people in education by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center. Dr. Darling-Hammond's plenary keynote is entitled "Re-imagining Urban Education: Creating Schools that Work for All Students."
Pedro Noguera and Linda Darling-Hammond are both members of the BayCES Advisory Board. For more information and to read their complete bios, please click here.
School Tours - Friday, April 25, 8am-1:30pm
Symposium participants are invited to guided school tours to new small schools in Oakland or San Francisco on Friday, April 25 from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Each tour will visit two schools (most on one campus) and participants may choose tours of elementary or high schools in Oakland, or high schools in San Francisco. The school tours require a separate $50 fee in addition to any conference registration.
For more information on school tour schedule and choices, click here.
Workshops - Saturday, April 26, 8am-4:30pm
Excel High School, McClymonds Educational Complex, 2607 Myrtle St., Oakland, CA.
The complete workshop list is now online. Click here for details!
The symposium will offer workshops that span a range of issues relevant to creating high-achieving and equitable small schools. We have designated four workshop strands:
1. Classroom Teaching and Learning
Sample workshops:
- From Deficit to Asset: A New View of the Learner, Dr. Miranda Dianda, National Education Association
- Differentiated Instruction: A Data Driven Approach, Andrea Brown-Thirston, Chicago International Charter High School
- Building Racial and Cultural Competence in the Classroom: Strategies from Urban Educators, Dr. Jennifer Obidah, University of the West Indies
2. Parent Engagement, Advocacy and Leadership
Sample workshops:
- The "Three Rs" of Powerful Parent Partnerships, Rhina Ramos, Bay Area Parent Leadership Action Network
- Parent Roles in Small Schools, Mark Gordon, Eve Gordon, Lillian Lopez, BayCES/MetWest High School/OCO
3. Students
Sample workshops:
- Cultivate & Be a Positive Force of CHANGE in Your Community! Service Learning Can Take You There! Fabiola Zepeda-Alejandre, June Jordan School for Equity, San Francisco
- Get Organized! Examples of Student Leadership and Voice, YES Students, Youth Empowerment School, Oakland
- Youth Speaks!
4. Culture and Rituals
Sample workshops:
- Ghosts in the Machine: The Pedagogy and Politics of Whiteness in Urban Small Schools, Jackie Jenkins, Arise High School and Stanford University
- Creating a College Going Culture, Wyn Skeels, Community Partnerships Academy, Berkeley High School
Registration
Registration is now closed.
Locations and Accommodation
Click here for complete directions and site information.
All conference activities will take place in Oakland, CA. The school site tours leave from the BayCES office in downtown Oakland at 1720 Broadway, Oakland. Friday evening's reception will take place at Preservation Park's Ginn House, 1233 Preservation Park Way (MLK Jr. and 13th) in Downtown Oakland. Saturday's conference takes place at EXCEL High School on the McClymonds Educational Complex Campus, 2607 Myrtle St.
Hotel accommodation is available at the Courtyard Marriott Downtown Oakland, 988 Broadway, Oakland, CA. A limited number of rooms are available in the BayCES block for $149/night (SORRY, NOW FULL). Please contact the Marriott at 510-625-8282 to arrange hotel accommodation.
Symposium Schedule
Friday April 25
7:30-8:00am Registration and breakfast for School Tours (only for those pre-registered), BayCES Office, 1720 Broadway, 4th Floor, Oakland.
8:00-8:30am Welcome and overview
8:30-9:00am Travel to school campus
9:00-10:30am School Visit #1
10:45-12:15pm School Visit #2
12:15-1:00pm Lunch and Debrief
1:00-1:30 Travel back to BayCES office
6:00-8:30pm Opening Reception (for all conference participants) featuring Dr. Pedro Noguera, Preservation Park's Ginn House, Downtown Oakland
Saturday, April 26
8:00-9:00am Registration and Breakfast, EXCEL High School, McClymonds Educational Complex, 2607 Myrtle Street, Oakland.
9:00-10:15am Welcome and Opening Plenary featuring Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond
10:25-11:45am Workshops: Session 1
11:45-12:45pm Lunch
12:55-2:15pm Workshops: Session 2
2:25-3:45pm Workshops: Session 3
3:55-4:30pm Closing
More Information
To receive updates about On Our Watch, please join our mailing list. For specific questions, please contact Will Lerner at will (at) bayces.org or call 510-208-0160 x321.
