What happens when you stop asking kids to sit in 45-minute "silos" and instead ask them to solve real-world problems for their community? In this episode, host Todd Zipper sits down with Jeremy Lugbill, CEO of the Career Academy Network of Public Schools (CANOPS) in Indiana, to discuss the radical redesign of the American high school.
Jeremy shares how his network achieved a staggering 98.48% graduation rate by focusing on "durable skills" like communication, critical thinking, and agency. We explore the Portage School of Leaders, where students operate without bells and engage in three-week interdisciplinary "immersions" to tackle local challenges. Jeremy also dives into the power of "blurring the lines" between K-12 and industry through their award-winning partnership with the Boys & Girls Club and their pioneering AI Career Pathway.
Whether it's student-run manufacturing businesses or earning stackable credentials in healthcare while still in high school, this conversation is a masterclass in how to move from "school type" debates to high-quality student outcomes.