I think the public schools are failing drastically because they do not teach students how to teach themselves. They spoonfeed the students test material for the test and they don't really learn what they should be learning and that is how to think and understand the subject the classes is teaching. Somewhere along the line I learned to teach myself from many different sources in subjects that I was interested in. I believe higher education should be taught by the industries that require highly educated people. I was very fortunate I worked for companies that paid for my education which benefit them greatly and they were very liberal about what classes I could take. That takes longer to get your education but it costs you less money. I still use online education I have posted some discussions on this subject in the past.

Like you, I think primary and secondary shools should receive equal funding, but the idea raises a lot of questions. Should it be equal at national level, or just within states? Should it be adjusted to reflect costs within an economic region? How should the taxes be levied?

On curriculum, I agree with you. I think students should essentially be allowed to advance at their own pace. Studying history for the sake of studying history is rather useless. Studying history in the context of current events I think would be much more useful, and plus would give students the ability to do likewise for the rest of their lives. (And hopefully instill in them the ability to turn a critical eye on information sources and how reliable those are, and perhaps make fake news less of an issue.)

Good ideas! I would still like to learn Matrix-style.

School funding will be the hardest problem to solve, of course. I'm not entirely sure how it is in the U.S., but I consider the subsidising of private schools by government as stealing from the public. We already have good public schools here. But there's been news recently of private schools receiving public monies that allow them to be more like resorts than schools: [smh.com.au]

The higher schools here are more "technical" than those in the U.S. - or used to be. Not sure now. This allowed students to finish school after Year 10 (sophomore year). There wasn't as much stigma with "not going to college" here as there is in the U.S. I can guess it's different now that there's more compeition and fewer "junior" jobs - with the acceptance of automation like ATMs and grocery self check-outs.

I would like for schools to have the choise students to change from accademect to trade school after 10th grade.

Basic maths, english, history, science and geography but then with all the rest follow pupils individuel strengths and interests and no religious education apart from explaining that it exists and why.

Get rid of standardized teaching everyone learns at different levels and at different stages. Stop forcing memorizing, 10 minutes after you use it you will forget what was memorized. They know that a 20 minute power nap helps people in business same benefits would go for education . Classes in common sense from basic to advance.

I would insist on classes that teach money management, sewing, repairing a faucet, toilet, replacement of plumbing fixtures, growing herbs, finding a good financial advisor, psychotherapy for at least two school years.

Probably based on the more open, learn from doing models in Europe that let children run around, explore, create, build things, rather than sitting in a classroom all day, five days a week. I would include teaching kids how to be patient, how to communicate, how to develop and employ common sense, how to listen to, develop and follow their instincts, how to grow things. Yoga and medition. Also, reading Beowulf would never be compulsory. Never ever. And defintitely not SIX YEARS IN A ROW. Thanks Baltimore County Public Schools.

If you cannot learn Enlish in 8 years give up. I think there should be more research done by children and everyone should take debating as a course and debate opposite thier own belief system.

Once public education got into the transportation business, as much as 50% of school budgets are for bussing seems so wasteful. Children waiting for busses in the early am, in the dark, on street corners, and some not getting home until evening.
Consider building schools within communities, walking distance, parents responsible for their childrens attendance, older students assisting, security provided by community activists and assisting wherever possible. Invest in more online education... at what age do most children have personal computers, laptops, tablets, cell phones... if education is so important (and it is) who else/all should be responsible for teaching?