Regarding your concerns, the schools I envision don't follow orders from the DNC.  They would be right to work, non-unionized, small classes.  Competency tests are fine as long as the subjects like history aren't a bunch of revisionist ramblings.  The focus would be to identify early what students would naturally excel in. Expose them to a lot of different things to see if something resonates.  If it does they can concentrate on that.  Less emphasis on college unless they show an interest in a profession that requires it.  Otherwise let them do things with their hands and build something or find a solution to a problem through critical thinking.    If they love art, let them do sculpture, stained glass, pottery, metal smithing instead of just painting, drawing or computer graphics.  If they love music, let them try many instruments.  In other words make a real effort to help the kids find their purpose and passion and teach them how to think rather than what to think.  More exploration needs to happen in k-12 to help kids experience things beyond reading, writing and math.  Customize curricula to fit the kid not the other way around.   Promote more interaction between students and technical/trade schools and community colleges  where they get to see how adults act in a learning environment.  Let them see how learning will lead to a good job by talking with older students and adults who want them to succeed, not indoctrinate them for some political purpose. Each year they do well funds the next year.  If they show exceptionalism in an area, they can branch off to focus in that area.  Let them pick up other basic learning in virtual class if they're consumed with something they really like.  The goal should be graduating kids who are happy and confident in themselves, show good discipline and work habits, have a much better understanding of what their abilities are and have a much clearer path forward with tangible goals.  Working beside adults explaining what they're doing on a job, giving them plenty of hands on opportunitiaes and experiencing life as they learn would propel them so much farther than students graduating with standard curricula today.