Evans listened to parents' comments last week, but she positively beamed at last night's meeting. While she says she has listened to parent criticism, Evans has tried to protect her administrators and guidance counselors.

"I've asked parents to give me evidence in writing and I'll take it on," she says. "I'm not interested in having 200 parents shrieking at me because that's not productive."

"They can't just tar the guidance department. That I'm not listening to," she adds.

The Morale Morass

In her drive to change CRLS, Evans has not gotten along well with veteran teachers. Reaction among teachers has been mixed overall and some younger teachers applaud the changes

"[Evans'] intention is to make it an equitable school and she cares," says first year special education teacher Debra Freilich. "She keeps a positive outlook all the time."

O'Sullivan says long-time teachers are more disappointed than younger teachers with what he calls the "one-size-fits-all" approach of redesign at CRLS.

"They have some basis for comparison," he says. Cambridge schools traditionally are "a mosaic of programs and they've seen this work well for kids."