I have to interject here. There are many teachers in my Husband's family. They are directed what to teach by the administrators. If the teachers try to buck the system, they eventually lose their jobs. The 'no child left behind' debacle was not embraced by any of the teachers. They had to follow the curriculum that was forced on them.
Look to the administrators, not the teachers. Oh, and that all comes down to all mighty funding dollar too. The admins don't want to lose the government funding so they do what the government asks.
And around and around we go.
I just didn't want the teachers to be fully blamed for what is taking place in our schools. It is political even there.
Hence the "brainwashing is done through the texts and curricula". There is always a political tension created by, on the one side - testing at the state or national level - which most teachers abhor - and which many parents like. The criticism is that 'now they only "teach the test" ...is answered by some - "At least they are learning
something!"
On the other side is the text and curricula - actual content where many teachers agree but 1/2 of the parents don't - that's the propaganda part, in the eyes of many.
The original point is that neither the testing nor the curricula teach logic - which could actually differentiate between what is important to know (the goal of testing) and propaganda and fact (the ideal goal of the curricula).
All that said, if a company, for example, was producing overtly bad products, and the employees were aware of that, at what point, would the employees either demand change or just quit? I think, if they continue to work, they are just as responsible. Many teachers have quit the government school system and have went to work for private schools or private charter schools as a direct result of observing this path and making a decision not to further it. To excuse teachers would be similar to excusing Mitch Zeller or Tom Frieden for the intentions and policies of the Obama Administration (or in earlier times, the Bush Administration).
edit: I should also say that there are some great teachers in the public schools system - we have several that post here - Sun, for one - and they do what they can with what they have.
I had one great one and about three very good ones in my public schooling. And there were some that shouldn't be near children.