Montessori Method schools, my friend. Or Waldorf. There's likely a school near you that is public and uses these methods. If not, there are scholarships too. It's not for everyone, but for all the Calvins it's a godsend.
But I still think that's a sucky situation for the 95% of kids who go to the nearest public school. Their days shouldn't be awful just because their parents didn't have the time, money, or awareness to consider non-default options.