Wow--you all must have gone to really, really horrid public schools!?
I work at the high school I went to, and I was an AP student, National Merit Scholar, etc.
When I was going through school I didn't notice it, but as a school professional, at my campus, I think we do a better job of serving the bottom and the top than the middle. If you're at the top, there are opportunities to take dual-credit classes off-campus for half the day, not to mention project-based learning classes like Robotics, Computer Science, etc. We have a school within a school STEM program, which is really taking off. Students in this program will graduate with 21 credit hours from a local 4-year university.
At the bottom, students get additional help from teachers and after school programs. These students also probably get more assistance from counselors, social workers, and admin than anyone else except for the absolute cream of the crop.
I don't actually think the current model of public schooling is optimal, but I'm pretty floored that anyone would say public schools are only about indoctrination and babysitting. I feel really, really sorry for you.