I attended a public high school, supposedly among the top 1% in the State of Illinois. We had a “science” teacher who firmly maintained that rockets need air to push against. (I am not making this up.) In junior high there was a ”science” teacher who did not believe in homework. (I am still not making this up.) I learned most of my science at the public library from people like Isaac Asimov, Arthur Clarke, and Robert Heinlein.