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Sophomores at Brooklyn Generation School studying sports management recently held a mock press conference to extol Shaquille O'Neal's career prospects.

The students have the month off from their regular classes -- something they get twice a year -- which allows them to learn about college and study careers they're interested in.

To make up for the 40 days a year spent on the special courses, the school year goes into July and each day is slightly extended. It's just one small part of what makes Brooklyn Generation different from other public schools. The program is a pilot for a whole new schooling model, one that challenges the academic calendar without raising costs or cutting into a teacher's time off.

"We've gone about rethinking all of the basic structures of schools. How time is used, how teachers work. We've created a school where teachers have more time with fewer students and much more collaborative time," said Generation Schools Co-founder Jonathan Spear.

Instead of having two months of vacation each summer, teachers at Brooklyn Generation get August off, and then two other three-week breaks mid-year, when their students are in the college and career courses.

By staggering when the teachers are off, the school year is extended without requiring extra staff or overtime pay. They've also reorganized the day to accommodate longer morning classes with only 16 students and larger afternoon electives. But since it's not a charter school, it required a special contract with the teacher's union.

"This school came forth and we were like, whoa. Okay, if you guys can work it out, we're there to support you," said Teachers Union President Michael Mulgrew.

The Department of Education has also been very supportive of the school.

"I met with the people from Generation Schools and they want to expand, and do you know what my response was, you betcha," said Schools Chancellor Joel Klein.

Making the Brooklyn Generation model work is not easy, especially for the educators who have to coordinate all of the pieces.

Eventually, the Generation network plans to expand nationally. Think tanks have already taken note of the creative school, saying it might help revolutionize the way educators use time.