By: Natalie Greene, student journalist
As an 18-year-old student from Houston, Texas, preparing to graduate this May with both my high school diploma and an associate degree in computer science, I know firsthand what it means to walk in two worlds. I balance high school assignments with college-level coursework, play sports, and still find time to dream big. So when I attended the “Reimagining the School Day” briefing hosted by American Community Media on April 4, I didn’t just hear policy talk — I heard my life being reflected back at me.
The speakers — education journalist Louis Freedberg, Oakland principal Dr. Shalonda Gregory, and Linked Learning Alliance President Anne Stanton — all agreed on one thing: the traditional school model is outdated, and it’s failing too many of us.
“We’ve actually seen chronic absenteeism rates reach record levels,” Freedberg said. “The current structure and learning opportunities that we’re offering students are not working or not working sufficiently for young people to get up every morning and to say they want to go to school.”
I felt that in my bones. For students of color — especially girls and young women — school hasn’t always been a space of belonging. We’re told to fit into 50-minute class periods and focus on tests that don’t measure our talents or resilience. Yet as Freedberg explained, that model — the Carnegie Unit — was created in 1906 to standardize how schools award credit. It’s barely changed since.
But change is happening — and not from the top down. It’s coming from the ground up, and that’s what inspired me most.
Dr. Gregory, principal of MetWest High in Oakland, leads a school that proves learning can be joyful, personalized, and powerful.
“It is my personal philosophy that school should be fun,” she said. “And yes, it should have rigor and all those things, but it should be engaging and should be fun, most importantly.”
At MetWest, students don’t just sit in class all day. They build individual learning plans, set personal goals, and spend two days a week interning in real-world jobs based on their interests.
“Our students are out of the building at their internship two days a week,” Dr. Gregory explained. “They only receive core instruction… Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays.”
One student, she shared, will graduate this year not just with his diploma but with job offers and hands-on experience in the auto and skateboarding industries — fields he’s passionate about.
That’s the kind of opportunity I wish more students across the country had. Because when school connects with our real lives, we show up differently — with more confidence, more curiosity, and more clarity about who we want to be.
Stanton spoke to that exact point when she described the Linked Learning model — an approach now serving over 330,000 students in California. These schools blend academics with career pathways and supportive communities, helping students build “both rigorous academics and also a very relevant pathway of study.”
She didn’t just talk about GPAs and test scores — she talked about “self-agency,” the power for young people to take control of our own journeys. “We are preparing all young people for success in college and career and civic life,” she said.
That line stuck with me. Because I’m not just trying to graduate — I’m trying to thrive. And I know I’m not alone.
For young women of color, especially those balancing school, work, family, and ambition, we need educational spaces that meet us where we are. Spaces that see our full humanity, that validate our goals, and that believe in our brilliance.
This isn’t about lowering standards. It’s about raising expectations — and doing it in a way that makes sense for today’s students. As Dr. Gregory reminded us, “A dream is just a dream if you don’t put action behind it.” At her school, students aren’t just dreaming. They’re catching dreams, making them real.
I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished in high school and college, but I also know my story isn’t as common as it should be. That’s why this movement to reimagine the school day is so important — because it’s not just about new schedules. It’s about opening doors, widening paths, and making room for more students like me to succeed.
