I guess my point would be that "ensuing that students have mastered the important processes. Some of the processes that readily come to mind are critical thinking; analysing data; researching; communicating ideas; creating new things; etc." is a curriculum, no? And it's the one I want to focus on. (If it's not, what do you want to call it? :)

I do believe there needs to be a bit of awareness of cultural references (Hirsch's cultural literacy went too far, but there's *something* there), too, but basically it's about some sound foundations and self-learning skills.