Is Anybody Reading?

If you read my profile you know that I am still (even after 28 years) obsessed with United States public education system. I have been retired for almost a year now and I still am subscribed to many educational newsletters and forums. I maintain my reading of educational news. With my career testing, writing and speaking business, I am in daily contact with the population (students and parents) that is supposed to be served by public education and I hear mostly negative feedback. I thought maybe I was thinking negatively and was catching the "crispy critter syndrome"--burnout--but I happily say that it is not just me.....I am still hoping that someone will GET IT! When I say get it, I mean get back to the basics of education....and no....I don't mean the 3R's!!!
I guess I have to ask three questions:
1. Why do we have public education?
2. What should we hope to accomplish by having public education?
3. If students are a by-product of the public education system--what should the product look like when it is finished?
I am a pretty global thinker and I like to get down to the nuts and bolts of things--if I am going to work for someone, I want to know what their expectations are--if I do a good job...in your opinion, Mr. Boss, what will that job look like, feel like, smell like, and sound like.
I think that is only part of the problem today--if a student is successful--what does it look like, feel like, smell like, etc. Every school district employee has a different take on what success looks like--depending on what role they play in the district or the building, or the room....for principals it is one thing, for teachers another thing, for counselors another thing, for the nurse an entirely different view....we are not all on the same page. Everyone's "stuff" is more important than everybody else's stuff!!
Let's all get on the national same page FIRST--then pattern schools after those expectations.