You and me both. What is the goal of public education again? You should ask your principal that directly during a faculty meeting. Bring popcorn. The answer will be hilariously entertaining. No one can agree on what it is, but one think is certain: it's based on a certain level of fear.

Finally, why is critical thinking, which, as you say, is touted by every school system, never inclusive of cognitive biases that we all have have? I think schools should directly instruct on biases like group think and THEN see how such biases may have led to Westward Expansion and our behavior toward natives. It wouldn't just apply to history. Social-emotional learning could use a boost of direct instruction on such things as confirmation bias or sunk cost fallacy. (I can't just walk away from him even though he's being abusive to me; we've been friends since kindergarten.)

In this day and age of utter lunacy all over the Internet, the need for direct instruction on critical thinking skills (i.e. rational skepticism) has never been greater.