Bring back 10 minute passing periods at Palo Alto and Gunn High School
The Issue
Sign this petition if you DO NOT support the 7 min passing period and want to bring back the 10 min passing period.
I am all for a reduced school day. However, if that means cutting down passing period time from 10 mins to 7 mins, and students miss the chance to talk to their teachers after class, stop and use the bathroom, or have to run to be on time, the trade off is not worth it.
* For those not willing to read this whole paragraph, please sign the petition, send it to your people, share any personal experiences with in the comments or send to me by text, DM, or email and I will share those sentiments at the board meeting. Write emails to the following people in charge, tell them your experience and opinions. Sign up to talk at the school board meeting on August 18th.
Paly Principal: Brent Kline bkline@pausd.org
Student Programs and Services: Yolanda (Lana) Conaway yconaway@pausd.org
Executive Director of Secondary Curriculum & Instruction & Gunn Principal: Wendy Stratton wstratton@pausd.org
I would suggest going to the website, paly.net to see the daily schedule yourself. On the main page, click on Full Calendar then go to August and click on each day.
Personal Experience
Disclaimer: I don't go to Gunn, so this story may not connect with those students specifically.
Last year, my schedule included AP Biology in room 1709 during 3rd period and AJAMS Newspaper Journalism (Campanile) in room MAC 204, which is upstairs during 4th period. I was constantly late to 4th period, not because I was wasting time or taking trips to town and country, but because of the trek across the campus that took the full 10 min passing period.
Furthermore, AP Biology was my hardest class of the year, so oftentimes I would stay behind to ask my teacher questions and clarify assignments. This time during the passing period was essential to my learning. The option to speak to this teacher before and during class was oftentimes not available due to her needing her own lunchtime, and class time being filled with rigorous lectures and labs required for AP Biology.
I was lucky enough that my teacher for Journalism was forgiving enough to let me into the classroom late 3 times a week, however, I still needed to be marked tardy because I was indeed, tardy. I don't know what it would have been like if I had a different class or teacher who was less forgiving.
Some teachers will close the door and lock it right when the bell rings or consider attendance as a part of their "participation" policies, which can factor into grades. Some teachers begin quizzes right when class begins, leaving late students unable to take the quiz, and thus affecting their grades. Teachers should be able to have the freedom to do this, without worrying about many students being late due to short passing periods.
Students with an extreme number of tardies can face punishments such as tardy intervention if they are late too often, or being exempt from certain privileges.
This schedule concerns me especially for students making long treks across campus, including the following. I have attached a map so you can see the distance. In red is the trek I made from AP Biology to Journalism.
Gym (PE, Sports med) ↔ MAC (Journalism, Early Childhood Development, Photography)
Some students have to climb 2 sets of stairs and cross campus in 7 mins
Gym (PE, Sports med) ↔ PAC (Theatre)
Science (1700s) ↔ MAC (Journalism, Early Childhood Development, Photography)
Science (1700s) ↔ PAC (Theatre)
Math (800s) ↔ MAC (Journalism, Early Childhood Development, Photography)
Math (800s) ↔ PAC (Theatre)
Many of these courses, including Journalism publications, Early Childhood Development, Photography, Theatre, English Reading and Writing Composition, AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC, Multivariable Calc, Theatre, Sports Medicine, Yoga, Dance, and advanced science courses, oftentimes will offer as low as 1 sections, especially if they are in specific publications or levels of a course.
Many students who will face missed instruction time, as I did due to not having enough time to cross campus.
What happens when a student needs to talk to their teacher to ask a question after class? Sometimes the line for a question can be 5+ people.
What happens when a student has an injured foot or leg, and they can't run to reach class on time? Some students encounter 2 sets of stairs in only 7 mins.
What happens when a student couldn't use the bathroom because they were stuck in a lecture or lab that required they stay in class? Sometimes the girls restroom can take 5+ mins for a stall to become available for you.
We ask the district and school to consider the following instead of 7 min passing periods.
- Switch back to 10 min passing periods
- Make class periods 3 min shorter instead
- Start the school day 15 mins earlier to save time a the end of the day
1,110
The Issue
Sign this petition if you DO NOT support the 7 min passing period and want to bring back the 10 min passing period.
I am all for a reduced school day. However, if that means cutting down passing period time from 10 mins to 7 mins, and students miss the chance to talk to their teachers after class, stop and use the bathroom, or have to run to be on time, the trade off is not worth it.
* For those not willing to read this whole paragraph, please sign the petition, send it to your people, share any personal experiences with in the comments or send to me by text, DM, or email and I will share those sentiments at the board meeting. Write emails to the following people in charge, tell them your experience and opinions. Sign up to talk at the school board meeting on August 18th.
Paly Principal: Brent Kline bkline@pausd.org
Student Programs and Services: Yolanda (Lana) Conaway yconaway@pausd.org
Executive Director of Secondary Curriculum & Instruction & Gunn Principal: Wendy Stratton wstratton@pausd.org
I would suggest going to the website, paly.net to see the daily schedule yourself. On the main page, click on Full Calendar then go to August and click on each day.
Personal Experience
Disclaimer: I don't go to Gunn, so this story may not connect with those students specifically.
Last year, my schedule included AP Biology in room 1709 during 3rd period and AJAMS Newspaper Journalism (Campanile) in room MAC 204, which is upstairs during 4th period. I was constantly late to 4th period, not because I was wasting time or taking trips to town and country, but because of the trek across the campus that took the full 10 min passing period.
Furthermore, AP Biology was my hardest class of the year, so oftentimes I would stay behind to ask my teacher questions and clarify assignments. This time during the passing period was essential to my learning. The option to speak to this teacher before and during class was oftentimes not available due to her needing her own lunchtime, and class time being filled with rigorous lectures and labs required for AP Biology.
I was lucky enough that my teacher for Journalism was forgiving enough to let me into the classroom late 3 times a week, however, I still needed to be marked tardy because I was indeed, tardy. I don't know what it would have been like if I had a different class or teacher who was less forgiving.
Some teachers will close the door and lock it right when the bell rings or consider attendance as a part of their "participation" policies, which can factor into grades. Some teachers begin quizzes right when class begins, leaving late students unable to take the quiz, and thus affecting their grades. Teachers should be able to have the freedom to do this, without worrying about many students being late due to short passing periods.
Students with an extreme number of tardies can face punishments such as tardy intervention if they are late too often, or being exempt from certain privileges.
This schedule concerns me especially for students making long treks across campus, including the following. I have attached a map so you can see the distance. In red is the trek I made from AP Biology to Journalism.
Gym (PE, Sports med) ↔ MAC (Journalism, Early Childhood Development, Photography)
Some students have to climb 2 sets of stairs and cross campus in 7 mins
Gym (PE, Sports med) ↔ PAC (Theatre)
Science (1700s) ↔ MAC (Journalism, Early Childhood Development, Photography)
Science (1700s) ↔ PAC (Theatre)
Math (800s) ↔ MAC (Journalism, Early Childhood Development, Photography)
Math (800s) ↔ PAC (Theatre)
Many of these courses, including Journalism publications, Early Childhood Development, Photography, Theatre, English Reading and Writing Composition, AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC, Multivariable Calc, Theatre, Sports Medicine, Yoga, Dance, and advanced science courses, oftentimes will offer as low as 1 sections, especially if they are in specific publications or levels of a course.
Many students who will face missed instruction time, as I did due to not having enough time to cross campus.
What happens when a student needs to talk to their teacher to ask a question after class? Sometimes the line for a question can be 5+ people.
What happens when a student has an injured foot or leg, and they can't run to reach class on time? Some students encounter 2 sets of stairs in only 7 mins.
What happens when a student couldn't use the bathroom because they were stuck in a lecture or lab that required they stay in class? Sometimes the girls restroom can take 5+ mins for a stall to become available for you.
We ask the district and school to consider the following instead of 7 min passing periods.
- Switch back to 10 min passing periods
- Make class periods 3 min shorter instead
- Start the school day 15 mins earlier to save time a the end of the day
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Petition created on July 16, 2026