Stamford High Schools Will Move To Modified A/B Schedule

STAMFORD, CT — After the Stamford Public Schools District appeared ready to move forward with implementing an unpopular hybrid four-by-four block schedule at Stamford High School and Westhill High School, Superintendent Dr. Tamu Lucero announced this week that there will be an A/B block schedule in place for the 2022-2023 school year.

In the four-by-four block schedule, students would attend four 90-minute classes each day for one semester. The A/B block schedule will have students attend up to four 90-minute classes that alternate every other day for the whole school year.

The Stamford Advocate reported that Westhill Principal Michael Rinaldi and Stamford High Principal Matthew Forker recently sent an email to district officials and the Board of Education, outlining why the A/B model is more favorable. The Advocate reported that the principals felt a hybrid four-by-four model would cause too many scheduling headaches.

Earlier this year, tenured faculty at Westhill and AITE issued "no-confidence votes" against Lucero and Associate Superintendent Amy Beldotti because they said the school officials ignored requests for an A/B block schedule.

The school district said in a news release this week that introducing the A/B schedule serves as a "first step" in creating a schedule that allows opportunities for students to earn additional credits. The district noted that beginning in the fall, state educational requirements dictate that all students must earn 25 credit hours to graduate.

The district said the administration, as well as principals at Westhill, Stamford High and AITE, where the A/B model is already being used, are "committed to working together to ensure successful implementation this fall."

"We appreciate all the work that has and continues to be done on behalf of our high school students and staff as we work towards offering flexibility, access and opportunity across our three high schools," Lucero said in a news release this week. "It is a credit to who we are as a community and the students we serve."

Lucero said the district will form a scheduling committee, made up of teachers, principals, building leaders, families, students and central office leaders, as well as the district's program assessor, to implement the new plan.

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