On the up side is that there are some (but not many) much more progressive schools my favorite of which are based around Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Theory.

A brief breakdown:

While this is by no means the mainstream, volume based cookie cutter education, there are programs that have been running successfully for a while now. I have hope to see education move to something closer to this.

The Gardner School curriculum is defined as “everything we take responsibility for.” Everything we do at The Gardner School — our curriculum, our lessons, our interactions — centers around these four pillars: Knowledge and Understanding, Character, Stance and Impact.
We enable children to become critical thinkers, posing and solving problems with integrity and responsibility while embracing challenge in a supportive community of learners.
The Gardner School curriculum is defined as “everything we take responsibility for.” Everything we do at The Gardner School — our curriculum, our lessons, our interactions — centers around these four pillars: Knowledge and Understanding, Character, Stance and Impact.
We enable children to become critical thinkers, posing and solving problems with integrity and responsibility while embracing challenge in a supportive community of learners.

• Gardner School Curriculum Model

https://gardnerschool.org/learning/curriculum-model/

What can I say, I'm an optimist. :)

A couple other similar programs:
http://www.newcityschool.org/academics/multiple-intelligences
http://newschoolva.com/intelligence_theories.php