Russ, your glass is full of family which is absolutely wonderful. I was referring to the broader drink, where you feel they are all poorly taught with a poor system and less knowledgeable and capable than you. I couldn't disagree more, which is no slight upon you, by the way, nor upon myself for that matter. There is simply more knowledge each generation and better ways of dealing with it and accessing it.
Perhaps the US really is terrible, but I doubt it. Far more likely is that some folks insist it was "better in their day" or they don't like that what's being taught now is different to what they were taught, regardless of the facts of the matter, and so they call it poor or wrong or indoctrination or what have you. I think that's nonsense. I'm sure there are poor teachers and schools, but by and large I can see that the system (here, at least) is working very well. Not without challenges, of course, but it was ever so.
As someone who is currently in the education system (albeit post grad), and with so many family members (my wife included) in the system from high school to post grad, I've quite a decent view.