Some public school systems are good, some are okay, some are bad, some are terrible. They typically reflect the community and its values- so, public schools in urban ghettos or rural trash communities are horrible, while public schools in upscale suburbs and rich towns are good.
Look at the surrounding community and you can predict what the graduates of the local public schools will end up like.
A “good” public school is like a “good” amputation.
That’s Gatto’s point: When it “fails”, it’s merely functioning as intended; when it “succeeds”, it does so in spite of itself.
In addition to that, when it “fails”, it points the finger at the child, the parents, the community, the lack of funds, etc. But when it “succeeds”, it takes the credit.
The public school system in America is a devilish enterprise with “progressive” roots.