The thesis of this essay is that the schooling paradigm is in need of review and that the answer may lie in a shift in how we think about teaching and learning. Under the prevailing paradigm, the role of teachers is to deliver the year-level curriculum to all students in a year level. This mismatch has unfortunate consequences for both teaching and learning. Currently, many students are not ready for their year-level curriculum because they lack prerequisite knowledge, skills and understandings. The basis for an alternative paradigm and a 'new normal' is presented. The essay addresses concerns raised about changes to curriculum, including that: changing the structure of the curriculum will mean abandoning year levels; teachers will be unable to manage classrooms in which students are not all working on the same content at the same time; some students will be disadvantaged if students are not all taught the same content at the same time; a restructured curriculum will result in ‘streaming’ and/or require the development of individual learning plans; a restructured curriculum will lower educational standards; and it will not be possible to do this in some subjects.