One can agree with much more autonomy for schools and Principles. This would allow quite massive centralizing bureaucracies; to be massively downsized and the billions saved being redirected to the coal face; as it were, and current unmet need!
A universal curriculum and benchmarking is the second part of the picture and indeed, an essential part of any govt funding paradigm.
Personally I would deal the states entirely out of education and health; and, instead rely on local boards and a direct funding model; that is inherently linked to service provision and comparative benchmarked best practise productive outcomes?
This would allow state administrations to massively downsize and concentrate on improving state based economic activity and outcomes; core responsibilities, utility service provision; roads and rail links etc.
Much of which would be quite massively assisted by a pre-emptive infrastructure build program and de-privatization; and indeed, the quite massive savings and cost of living reductions, inherent in the proposition! Rhrosty.