A computer-implemented method for managing packet scheduling on a client device. For example, one embodiment of a method comprises: receiving a packet to be transmitted; enqueuing the packet in a queue at a network stack level; determining whether packet scheduling is currently being performed at a driver level or at a networking stack level; selecting the packet for transmission from the queue at the network stack level if scheduling is currently being performed at the network stack level; and selecting the packet for transmission from the queue at the driver level if scheduling is currently being performed at the driver level.