"Other classes could be set up as a tutorial, where students could spend most of the class in the library or computer lab, working on a project that interests them, and checking in with a teacher once a week."
Beckee,
Your description above reminded me of a student I once worked with while I was in school. It is like the Oxford tutorial system.
When I was in college I worked a summer with a student from Singapore. She said that she went to high school using the Oxford tutorial system. I always thought that would be just great. She did however mention the stress that most of your grade was based on finale exams, and the work that you did was for learning the material and not grading. I often have thought about it. and yes, this does sound nice.
I wanted to mention this example to suggest that maybe your described model of learning is not so impossible. Maybe it could be implemented on some very small scale at first (sort of a school within a school approach).
anyway just though I would mention this
