Timeline

1991
BARCES (Bay Area Regional Coalition of Essential Schools) opens in San Mateo. Gay Hoagland is Coordinator.

1994
Name changed to Bay Area Coalition of Essential Schools (BayCES). Van Schoales is Director at that time.

1995
BayCES acquires nonprofit status as independent organization. It continues to be an active regional affiliate of the national Coalition of Essential Schools to this day.

1998
Under the new leadership of Steve Jubb, BayCES changes its name from the Bay Area Coalition of Essential Schools to the Bay Area Coalition for Equitable Schools to emphasize the centrality in education reform of addressing race- and class-based gaps in experiences and outcomes that result from historical biases.

BayCES joins with OCO to create the New Small Schools Working Group.

1999
Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) creates Director of Small Schools position, and invites BayCES to write a draft of a small schools policy.
School board approves the Woodland school as a new small school site in Fall 2000.
Oakland voters approve $350 million dollar bond to build and improve schools.

2000
Over 300 teachers, parents, officials, and educational leaders attend the BayCES "Small Schools for Equity's Sake" conference.
Dennis Chaconas named OUSD Superintendent, and agrees to make the Woodland site a "Superintendent's Pilot."
The New Small Autonomous Schools Policy is unanimously approved by the Oakland School Board.
BayCES holds focus groups for parents and teachers to develop an RFP process for new small school creation.
BayCES supports ongoing Teacher Working Groups.
OUSD, BayCES, and teacher teams visit new small schools in Chicago.
BayCES launches the Small Schools Incubator to coach design teams in writing new small school proposals.
BayCES receives $15.7 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to underwrite new small school reform in Oakland. Funding is to support the creation of at least 10 new small autonomous schools and the incubator process.

2001
BayCES, OUSD, and OCO sponsor second annual Small Schools Conference.
Successful design teams identified for new school openings in fall 2001.
Design teams prepare for fall opening with BayCES and OUSD support.
Members of approved design teams attend BayCES Summer Institute.

2002
BayCES, OUSD, and OCO hold third annual Small Schools Conference.
OUSD and BayCES begin discussions around a full district redesign.

2003
OUSD Superintendent Dennis Chaconas resigns. Office of School Reform closes.
CA Dept of Education takes over OUSD and appoints Randolph Ward as State Administrator.
Ward hires Katrina Scott-George as Special Assistant (formerly of BayCES and the Office of School Reform).
BayCES awarded augmentation grant from Gates Foundation of $9.5 million.

2004
BayCES hosts 4th annual Small Schools Conference.
BayCES Incubator passes to OUSD, where Haesin Kim launches New School Development Group.
OUSD launches Central Office Redesign Project (later "Expect Success") funded by Broad and Gates Foundations with extensive local and other support.

2005
Expect Success co-led by Katrina Scott-George (OUSD) and Steve Jubb (BayCES).

2006
Superintendent Randy Ward resigns. the state appoints Dr. Kimberly Statham, formerly Chief Academic Officer, as new State Administrator.
Expect Success management and funds for new school incubation move into district central office.
BayCES continues to coach over 30 schools and district leaders in Oakland.

2007
BayCES Executive Director Steve Jubb retires after 11 years. LaShawn Routé Chatmon appointed Executive Director.
An external evaluation shows accelerated achievement at Oakland's new small schools.