> but I find it difficult to believe that the most optimized, useful, and productive way to teach children about reality is the method we've settled on in the modern US.
You're spot on, it isn't. That's by design. The foremost goal of a modern education system is creating a labor force[1][2] that meets the projected demands of the economy. What is interesting to think about is that over time the type of workforce the economy needs changes and how that interacts with changes in education policy.
Don't get me wrong, there is value in trigonometry but I think classes on probability, statistics, and basic financial math like compound interest and so on are much more impactful when it comes to aggregate outcomes. I don't think it has to be an either or type of thing.
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussian_education_system