What should be the goal of US schools?

[Dr T Non-Fan]

I'm wondering whether we all agree on what our school systems should do.
Or maybe someone will break out the virtual firearms.

What I see mostly is people taking some political position (No public schools vs public shools OK vs vouchers, etc.), but we haven't really discussed what a school system should do.
Should it maximize standardized test scores, so the US won't look a bad as fur'n'ers' scores?
Should it maximize the potential of each student, knowing that some might be "left behind" in others' dust?
Should it attempt to create equally intelligent children by the end of 12th Grade?

It's possible that some of us assume different goal and thus advocate for a type of school system that serves that goal.

So, what say you?