Well, I've never worked in a school that offers ESL math classes, but I suppose it could be out there. Public education in the U.S. definitely places its focus on the lower quartile, at the expense of the upper one. We then also try to force college down everyone's throat, although theoretically half the world's population has a double digit IQ. In that case, is college really for everyone? I think many European countries are similar to Japan in that high school is not compulsory - one needs to take a test to gain entrance, and there are varying degrees of rigor. Some are designed to get you into college, others to teach you a skill so you can enter the workforce at age 18. I think we ought to take a look at that type of system.
What does this have to do with taxes & the economy? I guess our taxes fund education, which ultimately shapes our economy.