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Rather than resisting this reality, refocus the work that learning teams are doing.  Make short-term projects with specific objectives and outcomes the norm.  Have self-selected teams define exactly what it is that they plan to study during your in-service days in August.  In January, require progress reports backed up by student learning results.  In June, share what each team has learned with the entire faculty and plan new focus groups for the fall. 

Rather than resisting this reality, refocus the work that learning teams are doing.  Make short-term projects with specific objectives and outcomes the norm.  Have self-selected teams define exactly what it is that they plan to study during your in-service days in August.  In January, require progress reports backed up by student learning results.  In June, share what each team has learned with the entire faculty and plan new focus groups for the fall.

Do I know colleagues who will choose to meet with teachers that share planning periods because they’ve got busy personal lives and can’t find the time to meet outside of school hours?  Sure.  In fact, I’d even bet that the majority of your teachers would choose to work with peers in the same grade level and content area.