I didn’t need to write a 10 page paper on 3D trig for general math. Nor how to transpose a matrix.
I don't think that's what most people learn in terms of math. If you're not going to college you probably don't need trig or calc, but a basic understanding of algebra and geometry is useful IMO.
we just kept doing the same imagery fan theorizing from 8th grade to graduation.
Sounds like a problem with a shitty school or poor teachers, rather than a defect of English lit education in general. All the stuff I mentioned above is written into Common Core standards.