Performance-based funding should be rid of because it traps lower income families & schools into staying so. Schools with high performance are likely to already be well funded anyways, so, again, it just reinforces the social classes of areas. 100% no questions asked, rid of this.
I also used to want more choices within school. It's not feasible for many schools though(such as my own), so it couldn't be a baseline expectation. Definitely one for schools that can afford it though.
My personal issue with school was how soulless and stiff it was. Standardized testing, lack of choices like you said, and an inability to accommodate for people like me. The teachers themselves were the exact opposite though and probably the biggest reason I could graduate. My vision is 1/20(more like 0.5/20 because even the first letter is blurry), I retook High School English 1 thrice or twice(idk, foggy times cause I was literally always asleep due to disinterest), I was borderline nonverbal(I opened up tho, and ended up being that person who never shuts up), etc, and etc. Both trivial and big issues just compounding on one another.
I would wish that the teachers did more than use a whiteboard that required me to touch it with my nose before I could see it. That there was some kind of alternative to repeating that English class THRICE(?) or at least proving that I understood that trash after three times of taking it. Something to at least facilitate these issues through. I just lucked out with great teachers that pushed for the school to pass me where I'd already proven myself. E.g. I finished Algebra 2 before Algebra 1, and English 2 before English 1. I probably would've NEVER finished the English 1 if not for this, and I DEFINITELY wouldn't have finished Algebra/English 2 if I didn't get the teachers that I did.
Many of things I want aren't feasible and could gimp others or the teachers themselves, but at the minimum I'd expect a stronger support system to at least state the issues and provide leniency for cases where a student lacks the privilege of having teachers akin to my own. All we had were 2 (great) counselors that were loaded with a ton of additional responsibilities. So, maybe counselors wholly devoted to counseling would also be a baseline? Admittedly, many of the things I had wanted were also already there. They just weren't obvious enough.
As for courses, I think physical education belongs on the chopping block. Physical education is important, but having it every year was pretty unnecessary. The students that needed it most didn't do it(in their defense, PE was a source of embarrassment for them), and basically everyone passes regardless of how hard they fucked it up. Complete nonfactor. Imo, PE should be optional and provide additional choices. Even if that choice is as trash as allowing you to have additional time in a class you already take.
