[Gunax]

The recommendations are very sane. Actually I would say they are so obvious they are nearly cliche.

The controversial stuff is not stated explicity: Removing advanced classes, forcing all students to adhere to the same curriculum, and grading based on subjective criteria are what people are upset about.

It's a typical motte and bailey switcheroo: put some generic language in a document claiming something like 'rigor expressed only in difficulty' to conceal the reality of what is actually happening.