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.

I would include in all curriculum the "Why, How, Which, Where?" discipline.

The kids will be given a number of questions / topics and they will have to find the answers (their answers) and comment on the topics given. Said answers / comments will be presented to their classmates who will, in turn, questions them "Why you reached to your conclusion? How your conclusion is more beneficial? On which facts you are basing your opinions? Why should I accept tour findings as the best ones? Where your suggestions are applicable?
After the debate, the kids -all- will have to answer / comment again the question / topics presented to them in the first place. The learning on given subjects...as well as the ability to reason... will be remarkable.

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'd change it to be somewhat similar to my schooling for 2nd and 3rd grade. After testing at high school levels in math and science, I was taken out of my class and worked ahead at my own pace sitting next to a teacher's assistant in other classrooms. I really only had English and Social Studies with my classmates. I actually learned a lot during this time. Unfortunately, my dad was transferred during my 3rd grade year so I had to go back to the classroom where I'd be given at least a half dozen textbooks I'd already completed over the next 4 years.

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?

For starters....it would be tailored to the needs and abilities of the kids.

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.

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 think I'd like to see a go-at-your-own-pace structure, with fewer penalties for "failure" and more emphasis on recovering from setbacks, so students aren't afraid to try or to take risks. I'd also like to see an initiative for a two- or three-year internship program between high school and college, allowing students to work real jobs in areas of the workforce they think might be of interest before committing to additional education (so they might have thought they wanted to be an accountant but discovered that's way too tedious, but accidentally discovered that they enjoyed printer and copier repair when working with the IT department). I think real-world experiences are important and would avoid wasting time, money, and energy on a course of study that won't bear fruit.