As a teacher, I think that education should not be used as a political tool by public figures. We're not indoctrinating your kids. Critical Race Theory is not being taught in K-12 schools; it's a topic in law school. I was once accused of teaching CRT in my classroom because I merely answered a student's question about a reference to "white men of privilege" in the context of a textbook-recommended article about Sonia Sotomayor being on the Supreme Court with men whose upbringings were very different from her own. The student requested more information and I showed a definition of the term. A kid took a pic of the definition, texted it to his mom, and she posted it on a private community chat room, asking if the community was aware that CRT was being taught in the school. The harassment I endured online and in-person was so horrible that I actually left that job. It traumatized me terribly.
Teachers are just trying to do their jobs in an increasingly difficult environment, partly due to the pandemic's effects on kids' learning and their ability to adapt to being in a structured environment again, but partly because politicians and TV hosts who know better are filling the public's heads with lies about what's going on inside schools, causing parents to often co-sign their kids' negative behaviors. They assume the worst about teachers, and whatever their kids tell them, they believe without even pausing to ask for context.
I recently saw a statement online that suggested that people should have to substitute teach in the same way they are summoned for jury duty. While the statement was tongue-in-cheek, I believe that if the politicians and TV hosts who denigrate public education and teachers as they do had to be in teachers' shoes for just one day, they would change their tune. Parents should go through their kid's day with them and see what it's like for them and for teachers to be in school these days. I used to feel sorry for the students I had who actually came to school to learn because there were so many kids who showed no interest in learning at all.
I guess what some elements of society lack is the ability to research credible sources for themselves and think critically about issues rather than being motivated by fear and hysteria by people who have an agenda. Before they decide that teachers are doing something wrong, I really encourage them to ask questions and allow the teachers to explain themselves.