Lisa: Although it may seem like yesterday, 22 years ago is a long time. Superintendent Thompson has decried the seven-period day if teachers are not required to teach 6 of those periods. Seven period days can work if, and only if, the teachers have two planning periods and teach five periods per day. You write that "Boca High had block scheduling for about 12 years and switched back to a seven-period day five years ago, with great success and support of the community." That's with two preparation periods per day. We used to have it here in Naples, too, 21 years ago. I taught at BCHS where English teachers in the "writing enhancement program" had only 85 students total load with paid time to grade their daily essays during two planning periods per day. And it worked. Well. But that's not what Superintendent Thompson's agenda is. The seven period day you describe is, according to Thompson, the most expensive option. He, of course, wants to save money: one planning period per seven periods with each high school teacher handling 174 students per day. As we learned yesterday, Core Courses will have 24 to 29 students next year. AP courses are not core courses and must have a minimum of 32 students to "make." They will meet every other day all year long for a maximum of 90 sessions instead of the current 180 sessions. This is a very significant difference. Superintendent Thompson has made the block victory a Pyrrhic one by mandating every CCPS high school to switch to alternating block schedule, no classes meeting daily. Every teacher, including those who have AP classes, will handle six whole groups of 25-29 students each all year long. So we'll all get used to processing 174 students in our factory-like alternating block classrooms every other day. The forced switch to 7 periods will seem a piece of cake after that. And CCPS will save lots and lots of money with our tricky new CEO. His methods are approved by Mr. Withers who now contends that the School Board's vote is moot and that scheduling is the sole bailiwick of the superintendent. Dissatisfied students and their parents are fleeing and will will continue to flee CCPS. FTE will plummet. Fewer teachers will "process" many more students. The goal of more learning is probably not going to be achieved. So, in the end, teachers and students in CCPS are being pilloried. What's going on in our high schools will not attract new home buyers to our town. Next year my time with my AP students will be cut in half (if it "makes" at all). The following year it will be halved again. My time will be used up with an extra class each day. My students will cover first less than half of what they do this year, then one-fourth. Writing 36 essays to be meticulously graded? Forget it. You have not heard the end of this "cycle of negativity" argument.