In this essay, John S. O'Connor and Avi D. Lessing discuss the increasingly reductive and routinized nature of contemporary schools and the costs such an approach holds for students and teachers alike. The current approach is especially troublesome in light of the rich history of progressive voices, such as Paul Diederich, who have cautioned against such an approach for the past 75 years. In the current education climate, schools often concern themselves with the most efficient ways of delivering education, cramming the school day with required classes and common assessments. The authors lament the consequences of these practices, which rob teachers and students of time (to reflect, to create, to think) and which ultimately rob them of their individuality.