I'm so glad that you're not right. My son goes to a public Montessori school. They do not "teach to the test" nor does he learn things by "rote memorization".
The GP is absolutely correct, in that it takes a community to make a school. Hell, it takes a community to make a government. If your public school (or public library, or public park or public ANYTHING) sucks, then for gods sake, get off your lazy ass and fix it! It's PUBLIC! That means its as much yours as it is anyone else's! Take some responsibility for yourself and your community instead of blaming it on "the Man" or "the Government" or whomever your boogyman of choice is.
Personally, I still blame everything on Dick Cheney.