Legendary teacher and reformer John Taylor Gatto presented a scathing critique of our compulsory education system. He told how in 1991 when he won the award of New York's Teacher of the Year, he audaciously quit the profession, saying that he could no longer abide by the faulty structure.
Schools turn out "incomplete people" who become indoctrinated into the work force, he declared. Citing the educational focus on memorization and short answer tests, these "weapons of mass instruction," turn out a more docile population, that has not learned the skill of thinking comprehensively, said Gatto.
Over the years, he has become impressed with many home schooling efforts. Freed from the strictures of the institutional settings, these students often show much more progress in intellectual and character development, he said. He recommended the book Hard Times in Paradise by David and Micki Colfax for their insights into the home schooling process.
I was typing up a partial transcript of Noory's interview of Mr. Gatto when Free Republic crashed. I'll try to post it later today.