The six-hour school day is dead. Luckily, there’s an even better solution.
Welcome to two-hour learning, where kids learn twice as much, twice as fast. It’s true — kids can crush academics in just two hours a day. And by “crush,” I mean, climb their way to the top 1% of the nation. This isn’t hyperbole. It’s happening right now in the halls of our flagship school, Alpha. And your kids could be next. To ease the swell of panic that probably just rose in your throat — “you mean the newest, most successful form of education includes kids coming home after just two hours of school!?” — you should know that the “two hour” model only applies to hard and fast academics. (Yes. Take a breath. All is well.) It works like this: Mornings are for academics. Kids spend two hours immersed in deep, focused learning with traditional academia: math, reading, science, history. Afternoons are for life skills. Kids spend four hours participating in workshops that simulate real-world skills: public-speaking, entrepreneurship, creative writing, financial literacy. Kids aren’t built to sit butt-in-chair for six hours a day. Intuitively, we know this. They need movement and conversation, things to build and challenges to overcome. It’s frustrating enough for adults to be tethered to their desk all day. Why subject kids to the same fate? Why not fill their afternoons with activities that inspire them, that show them how the world actually works? Say, launching a food truck business, or writing a Broadway musical, rather than nodding off during post-lunch afternoon algebra. Kids are far more capable than we give them credit for, and the six hour school day keeps them shackled in these chains of unbelief. The two-hour learning model, however, gives kids precisely what they need — legitimate academia and real-world experience — precisely how they need it — action over absorption. Read the full article here
Is There Such A Thing As ‘Good Screen Time?’
Young people are spending more time on digital devices than ever before. Nearly every teenager in the country now has access to a smartphone (95%). About half of them report being online “almost constantly,” a 24% increase from a decade ago, according to 2024 Pew Research Center data. The alarm bells are sounding. Bestselling books warn parents about the extreme risks of screen time on developing minds, such as The Anxious Generation by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, who points out that parents are “overprotecting children in the real world and underprotecting them online.” Research suggests a more thoughtful approach is needed. Focusing On Quality Over Quantity Recent research paints a more detailed picture of screen time’s impact. According to a Wall Street Journal analysis, time spent on school-issued devices peaks in sixth grade at 35% of instructional time, and from first to 12th grade, students spend 20% of their average instructional day on devices. Rather than focusing solely on reduction, we should emphasize how technology is used. Some teachers are finding innovative ways to use technology that enhances learning—from interactive quizzes and creative writing exercises to virtual global exploration and collaborative projects. These transform traditional assignments into engaging multimedia experiences where students create, rather than just consume, content. In the tech-driven schools I founded, “good screen time” is fundamental to how students learn. Our education model uses adaptive AI for personalized lessons for every student but limits device time to two hours daily on our edtech platforms. The remaining day focuses on hands-on learning and collaborative projects, recognizing that technology should enhance, not replace, traditional education. Read the full article here