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Weapons of Mass Instruction (Highlights)
“Weapons of Mass Instruction is probably his best yet. Gatto’s storytelling skill shines as he relates tales of real people who fled the school system and succeeded in spite of the popular wisdom that insists on diplomas, degrees, and credentials. If you are just beginning to suspect there may be a problem with schooling (as opposed to educating as Gatto would say), then you’ll not likely find a better exposé of the problem than Weapons of Mass Instruction.” Cathy Duffy Reviews Next up in the GATTO series is a focus on his book, Weapons of Mass Instruction: A Schoolteacher’s Journey Through the Dark World of Compulsory Schooling. The book is both a…
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The John Taylor Gatto series
This is a continuation of highlighting the work of John Taylor Gatto, former New York Teacher of the Year. You can find his resignation letter on my Instagram or Facebook page. It is the post entitled, “I quit, I think”. Gatto was a vocal critic of public schooling in America after spending almost 30 years inside classrooms. For some, his words will be a welcomed explanation to something you have known all along or felt in your gut but just couldn’t quite put into words. For others, his words will be uncomfortable. Particularly if you are a current teacher, currently have children enrolled in public schools, or believe public school…
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You Might Be Ego-schooling If…
Once upon a time, when our family first made the decision to forego the traditional schooling options, I dreamed of being a fabulous teacher to my kids. We would come together every morning, still dressed in our pajamas, sipping cocoa or nibbling on the morning breakfast I lovingly made while their sleepy bodies were still in bed, and we would read stories together, work equations, draw, or do science projects. I would have amazing lessons devised and they’d gleefully thumb through the pages of their ‘work packets’. On our best days they’d ask for more. I considered how our space should be arranged, I made a list of materials we needed,…