honestly english class is mostly a waste of time. idk about everyone i know who is very good with the language picked it up from extensive reading starting at an early age, not from cramming in book reports. i completely agree with focusing more on those things just i think the general reading level of American kids going into high school is way too low. there is literally 0 reason why someone entering 6th grade shouldn't be able to read literally any english language text and comprehend it.

and yeah history in public schools sucks. 100 years ago it was taught with a bit more of the "great man" emphasis, now it's a lot about social forces, the experience of the average person at the time. social forces are an important part of history but i have looked at old curricula vs new ones and they are so much more interesting. regardless, history should be taught by lecture paired with reading other info from the time (primary sources, more detailed descriptions of things mentioned etc) not by the godforsaken mess of a subject it is now.