When a lot of Americans say they value education, what they really mean at best is that they hope their children will graduate from high school or at least earn a G.E.D., or at worst they want their children to pass the substance-abuse course the judge mandated rather than going to jail.
Our whole system is geared towards the vision educationists had 100 years ago -- provide just enough literacy so that children will grow up to be able to follow simple directions and do repetitive tasks at some factory. Exceptional people can break out of that mold, work hard, and become truly educated. Such people are also considered a threat to the system and, as you found out, they generally do not get much praise or support.
And they've succeeded.
Just one problem-they moved the factories.
You know what part of the problem is? All of the "reforms" to get students ready for technology, and the push to test certain skills so young create a situation where context is not developed. Lists of formulas are given to students; they don't actually memorize or develop much.
The good students today are fabulous technicians. They don't, however recognize things in different contexts or know how things connect.
My favorite is traditional Trigonometry...just develop all of those wonderful concepts by starting with the right triangle. My experience is most teachers out there today don't know the subject. They just hand students lists of formulas, many very complex, and have them plug in values and get results. It leaves them really deficient in recognizing and developing things.