Most high‑school subjects are signaling

Many standard high‑school courses (advanced geometry, Algebra II, calculus, foreign languages, some arts) function primarily as college‑admissions signals rather than broadly useful workplace skills; a small core (reading, basic math, statistics) serves almost all workers while the rest routes students toward selective colleges. Rebalancing toward applied statistics and vocational options would better match the majority of students to economic needs. — This reframing reframes K–12 curriculum debates from ‘more or better schooling’ to ‘which courses genuinely prepare citizens and workers,’ with implications for admissions, labor policy, and school funding.