Mandatory government (or government -approved) schooling was the first big step to socialism in the U.S.
Things would be even worse did not some people sacrifice to send their children to private and church schools or homeschool.
Do any “modern liberals” homeschool ?
All it took to elect a Woodrow Wilson or a Franklin D. Roosevelt was one to three generations of children indoctrinated in socialist schools that fed them lukewarm and generic Protestantism or outright godless secularism.
My grandmother ( born 1894) thought Roosevelt was America's Savior. She attended government secular schools that occasional gave a nod to God. Well...If children are taught to think and reason godlessly in state schools they will worship the state and think the state is their god and redeemer.