What must happen is vouchering free public education through eighth (or better, sixth) grade, with public scholarships for high school contingent on an exam and sustained, annual, academic success.
Abolition of college loans is also critical, or, if they must continue, make the colleges cosign each loan and make the loans dischargeable in bankruptcy for the student but not the college.
I'm not against liberal arts per se - I majored in English and I have found it invaluable during my career as a doctor. However, it needs to be made clear that liberal arts classes are NON-VOCATIONAL - that they are for personal improvement only, and that if one does not have a plan for after graduation, majoring in English isn't a plan.
And, of course, my plan does not address the 30% of current public school inmates who are ineducable pre-criminals or pre-welfare people. I have no idea what to do about them, other than getting them the hell away from educable students.