A worthwhile college education should not be for EVERYBODY, nor should the qualifications for such assume all high school graduates should meet college requirements. It is a difficult thing to accept sometimes, but not all of us are gifted, nor are we all entitled to an education beyond that required to function normally (i.e., not exceptionally). IOW, parents all of your kids aren’t geniuses, and some of them would best meet life just serving fries or pumping gas.
I used to think everyone (well, most everyone) should, if they wanted to, go to college. Then I taught high school and it was an eye opener. Of course I also had gone back to college several times (once to finish my degree and then a third time to get a teaching certificate) and it made me also realize that college doesn’t really prepare you for a “job”. At least most college degree plans don’t.
I am a proponent of our schools (I’m not going to get into home schooling, which I support, but realize most parents will not do) having some sort of vocational education starting after middle school that would give kids who were interested some sort of job prep and certification (or at least the ability to go onto further training for things that might take longer) for real careers. We NEED people who can be plumbers and mechanics and even nail techs and hair dressers and on and on.
Of course I still think for the kids who want to go on to college, college prep classes are great. This would have the added benefit of getting the kids who are not interested in the more advanced classes out so they are not disrupting those who are.
And make the prereq for all of this an ability to do basic math and reading. Of course, this should be at the state level as I think the Federal govt should keep their noses out of it.