As the daughter of a public school teacher and as a graduate of a relatively test-score-focused public school system, I found Gatto’s arguments very compelling. I felt bored in my public school classes which followed set curricula and did not allow for individual curiosity. Upon reflection, however, I feel that Gatto is leaving out a key factor in his arguments, namely income inequality and local funding of public schools. Mass production is an inherently cost-effective method of schooling, as Gatto implies with his reference to schools with 2000-4000 students. School budgets are often the first to be affected by financial constraints, because very few people are willing to recognize that as the price of everything else goes up, good education will also cost more. Many public schools have to increase class sizes to make up for rising costs in other areas, like special education mandates and health care costs. In large classes, the teacher’s most important role may become management of 35+ students rather than inspiring children to love learning. In wealthy enclaves, some of these problems are ameliorated by parents who not only know the value of good education but also can afford to support innovative and high quality schools. These towns tend to pass higher school budgets that allow for smaller class sizes, new technology, enrichment programs and specialized courses.
Overall I believe that Gatto’s essay has had an important impact on how we see American public education and many teachers want to improve their students’ independence and engagement with subject matter. Until we give them the resources to do so, only wealthy districts will have the flexibility to meet the needs of individual students and create well-educated adults.
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I think your criticisms of the public school system vis-a-vis income inequality are valid and do require the attention of policymakers. However, Gatto seems to make a broader critique about the educational system, namely that it serves as an ideological state apparatus which perpetuates the interests of the elite class. So while I totally agree with you that certain impoverished school districts are underfunded, the larger point that Gatto tries to make is that the fact that the educational system produces conformist followers rather than thinkers and leaders is by design, in essence, a social critique rather than of the minutiae of the implementation of education in America.
I think you point out a crucial element that Gatto almost completely ignores. Many school districts struggle financially while others districts have more money than they can spend. For example, my school did not always have functioning heat while our neighboring school claims the “Millionaires” as their team mascot name. Inequality in the public school system is a major issue and needs to be addressed if we take equal opportunity seriously.