John Taylor Gatto, (1937-2018) American school teacher of 29 years, author, New York State Teacher of the Year, 1991 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Comment on this quote Share via Email Print this Page [1-5] of 5 John Taylor Gatto quotesJohn Taylor Gatto QuotesJohn Taylor Gatto Growth and mastery come only to those who vigorously self-direct. Initiating, creating, doing, reflecting, freely associating, enjoying privacy—these are precisely what the structures of schooling are set up to prevent, on one pretext or another.~ John Taylor Gatto School is the first impression children get of organized society. Like most first impressions it is the lasting one. Life is dull and stupid, only Coke provides relief. And other products, too, of course.~ John Taylor Gatto Government schooling is the most radical adventure in history. It kills the family by monopolizing the best times of childhood and by teaching disrespect for home and parents....~ John Taylor Gatto The shocking possibility that dumb people don’t exist in sufficient numbers to warrant the millions of careers devoted to tending them will seem incredible to you. Yet that is my central proposition: the mass dumbness which justifies official schooling first had to be dreamed of; it isn’t real.~ John Taylor Gatto Who besides a degraded rabble would voluntarily present itself to be graded and classified like meat? No wonder school is compulsory.~ John Taylor Gatto Share on Facebook Tweet Email Print