The authors have attempted to implement "less is more" in a variety of educational contexts. The schools they have been part of include a pilot school in Boston, New Mission High School(New Mission), a charter school in Fitchburg, North Central Charter Essential School (NCCES), and a charter school in Devens, Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School (Parker). The three schools are members of the Coalition of Essential Schools and were founded as such; although New Mission and Parker share more than ten years of existence, they differ in the population each serves. New Mission is considered an inner-city school, while Parker mostly serves suburban residents. NCCES, the newest of the three schools, is an urban school in its fifth year of operation. Although the challenges due to demographics guided the authors' work in each of the three schools, it is beyond the scope of this article to address these in detail. All three of the programs the authors describe in this article have used the Massachusetts state curriculum frameworks to inform the course content. Students in these schools must pass the MCAS, the state math exam, in order to earn a high school diploma, and in the case of the two charter schools, their very existence depends on regular charter renewals that closely examine the students' academic performance. The curriculum in these schools is not just a list of things to know, but demands that students use, explore, play around, discover, make connections, and problem solve.