That hour and a half is designated for preparatory time for core subject area teachers. Quite frankly, teachers are running on depleted energy reserves. Considering the substitute shortage which often leads to teachers subbing on their prep periods and the other added stresses from this pandemic, something needed to be done to give teachers time to grade assignments, prep lessons, and complete other necessary tasks. I know that I am farther behind than previous years in planning and posting my courses' content for my students, and many other teachers are similarly overwhelmed.
I have heard more teachers talk about leaving the profession this year than any year previous. There are a variety of factors behind this. All of the factors that have led to the "Great Resignation" across many occupations this year plus the added stresses of teaching in a climate that has been increasingly hostile to teachers are making many fantastic educators want to leave.
Thus, I am quite pleased that our principal and assistant principal took this proactive step to help lighten some of the load. While there are still some kinks to work out, I personally felt relieved today as I was able to use that extra time to get a few things done (specifically, recording videos of lessons) that have been difficult to accomplish otherwise. To be clear, I am still quite behind where I would like to be, but it finally felt like I had a chance to get caught up.