On the other hand, Algebra II isn’t something everyone needs in daily life-IIRC back in my high school days it was Algebra II or a 3rd year of a foreign language or Chemistry or Physics.
Sometimes “raising standards” means that the actual classes are dumbed down so kids without interest or aptitude can pass them. This doesn’t help anyone.

What we need is a good basic education and the opportunity to go back and pick up the classes we didn’t think we needed back when they were first offered, now that we’ve realized we do actually need them.