I came across this recently. I had always wondered why I managed to find math so fascinating when most of my peers hated it. I think I was just lucky enough to see through the poor state of education into some of the magic underneath. For a (partial) solution to the math education problem, Paul Lockhart has also written a book called "Measurement"[1] which is a very entertaining read.
[1] https://www.amazon.com/Measurement-Paul-Lockhart/dp/06742843...