For years, the University of Memphis has received praise for the success of its precollege school system, University Schools. But it hasn't been able to accommodate high levels of demand from families who want to enroll their children in the system.

Michigan's Orchard View Pubic Schools is boosting engagement by sending sixth-graders to a local career tech center to begin exploring—and experiencing—a wide range of potential careers.

Schools didn't always have such a long summer break. In the early 19th century, schools in cities were typically open year round while schools in rural areas typically had two terms, one in the winter and another in the summer.

Superintendent of the Brigantine Public School District in Brigantine, NJ, Robbins is the best-selling author of Calm in The Chaos: Ancient Stoic Wisdom for Successful School Leadership.