Therefore I can't see why you think I assume it's only about the curriculum.
Nor do I see how unions are relevant. Your 1960's classroom, in the cartoon that resonates so strongly with you, was almost certainly run by a union teacher, in a time when unions were much more powerful than now.
You can't decide to choose one part of history and not the other.
Do you have any evidence that that's actually true? My examples demonstrate that it was far from universally true in the 1960s.
If was was true, when did it change? There are plenty of complaints in the 1970s complaining about how the parents are at fault. In fact, I can find complaints from the 1940s about how the young people these days have things given to them on a platter and never have to face any challenges.
If it isn't claiming an actual historical propensity, why does it use "1960"?
And if you think the highly unionized school teacher of the 1960s was effective, then why do you think unions are the problem now?
You are assuming it's about the curriculum it's not. It's about the environment, the parent participation etc.