Okay... D is settled into her new schedule. Skipping French V next semester, but she is set up with her tutor and has a free block (where the previous English section was) that she will use to study French. The tutor is a French teacher at her school that we have used for tutoring for both of our kids. Apparently the principal told the French teacher today that he did not want her to tutor D (and thus enable this schedule change). The teacher (cheers!) has chosen to go ahead and tutor D anyway.
Not sure how the new English class will go (doesn't start until next quarter, block scheduling). But the previous English class started this week, and D's friends are already complaining that the old teacher is ruining Walt Whitman for them. I think this change was the right choice if we couldn't get the AP option.
Now just need to figure out how to keep the principal from trashing D on her National Merit Finalist letter, as he has apparently labeled her as a quitter in his mind based on his last email. Sigh...
