For over a century, the American school day has followed a rigid formula: six or seven short periods, five days a week, each lasting about 45 minutes. This structure—efficient, predictable, and standardized—was designed during the industrial era. But today, this century-old model is increasingly out of step with how young people learn, engage, and prepare for the real world.
That’s the bold challenge raised in a recent conversation hosted by American Community Media (ACoM), where three respected leaders in education came together to explore one transformative question: What if we redesigned the school day to truly meet the needs of today’s students?
What unfolded was a compelling and timely look at how schools across the country are breaking free from outdated norms—and why this shift is not only necessary but also gaining bipartisan support across the country.
A Post-Pandemic Wake-Up Call
Veteran education journalist Louis Freedberg, executive producer of the Sparking Equity podcast, opened the conversation with a hard truth. While schools have largely returned to in-person instruction post-pandemic, many students haven’t returned with the same enthusiasm. Chronic absenteeism has surged, and attendance remains a major concern in districts nationwide.
“Getting kids back into classrooms wasn’t enough,” Freedberg said. “The structure itself is uninspiring for many students. It’s not motivating enough for them to want to show up every day.”
At the core of this problem is the Carnegie Unit, or “credit hour”—a model that dates back to 1906 and measures learning by the number of hours spent in class rather than by skills or understanding. Even the Carnegie Foundation, which originally introduced the model, now acknowledges its limitations and is leading efforts to rethink how we measure educational success.
Personalizing Learning, Unlocking Potential
One school that’s putting this reimagined vision into practice is MetWest High School in Oakland, California, led by Principal Dr. Shalanda Gregory. A member of the national Big Picture Learning network, MetWest offers a radically different model: students spend multiple days each week out in the community, participating in internships and real-world projects that bring classroom learning to life.
“Students thrive when they see the relevance of what they’re learning,” Dr. Gregory explained. “Our model empowers them to explore their interests in real-world settings. It’s about unlocking potential—not just covering material.”
At MetWest, every ninth grader creates an Individual Learning Plan—a personalized map that doesn’t just outline academic goals, but helps students reflect on who they are and who they aspire to become. For Dr. Gregory, learning should be rigorous, culturally connected, and joyful.
“School should be fun,” she said. “We need to normalize joy in education.”
Skills That Last Beyond Graduation
Anne Stanton, president of the Linked Learning Alliance, brought a broader lens to the conversation—one that connects classroom learning with the workplace and lifelong success. Her organization champions “durable skills” like communication, resilience, and critical thinking—competencies that employers value and that help students adapt in an ever-changing world.
“There’s a growing understanding that grades and test scores don’t tell the whole story,” Stanton noted. “We need to prepare young people not just for the next test—but for life.”
The Linked Learning approach weaves academic rigor with career exploration, offering pathways in fields like healthcare, media, and engineering. With 600 career pathways established in 80 California districts—and over 330,000 students served—it’s a model that’s scaling fast. Major investments like California’s $500 million Golden State Pathways Program are helping accelerate this work.
Stanton also made a passionate case for rethinking what a high school diploma represents—not just a checklist of credits, but a record of real-world experience, professional networks, and student purpose. “Our systems need to reflect the world students are entering—not the world we grew up in,” she said.
A Movement That’s Gaining Ground
What once seemed radical is now taking hold across the country.
Five states—Indiana, Nevada, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin—are piloting new systems to measure learning beyond standardized tests. Seventeen others are developing a Portrait of a Graduate, a vision of the skills and competencies students should have when they leave high school. In several states, these new definitions are being embedded into graduation requirements.
This isn’t just about tweaking policies. It’s about transforming a system that no longer works for far too many students—particularly those from underserved or underrepresented communities. And it’s fueled by the recognition that we must evolve or risk leaving an entire generation behind.
What Comes Next?
Reimagining the school day isn’t about eliminating structure—it’s about designing smarter, more responsive systems that support how students actually learn and what they truly need to succeed.
It’s not just a policy issue. It’s a values issue. A question of equity, access, and the kind of future we want to build for our young people.
As Louis Freedberg asked so poignantly, “The question isn’t whether we should change the school day. The question is: Can we afford not to?”
This national conversation is far from over—and we invite you to be a part of it. What does a meaningful school day look like to you? Whether you’re an educator, student, parent, or employer, your voice matters. Let’s keep the dialogue going and shape a future where all students can thrive.
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