I vividly remember the moment when I had an epiphany regarding strategic scheduling. I had been a school leader for years, mastering the technical aspects of scheduling at a large comprehensive high school. I could quickly produce an efficient schedule that aligned offerings with teaching resources and was optimized to meet student demand. The vast majority of students started the school year with a full schedule and the schedule was built to maximize high school graduation requirements and to live within our allocated budget; so we always had a smooth start to the year.