I have a love/hate with Gatto's writings. He seems to be an amazingly insightful and truthful man. The Seven deadly lessons are incredibly depressing to me, and I think it's because I know he's right. How can there be so much that's off with today's schooling. The dependency, surveilance, forced order were all there when I was a student. It seems like such a task to try and fight that stuff, and stay reasonably sane though. I'm not saying that that's reason not to go against the grain, but it sure seems trying. I can't believe that man taught for twenty-six years and left because he didn't want to see anymore lives and minds destroyed. Heavy stuff

I agree with you in that Gatto's writings are insightful and truthful- I think he was able to acquire this insight only through his years of hands-on personal experiences. He says "school is a 12 year jail sentence where bad habits are the only curriculum truly learned." If anyone has the right to say this-it is a teacher with 26 years of experience.

Of course it would be impossible to overcome the seven deadly lessons completely but teachers, like Gatto, can change their classroom environments as much as possible within the limitations of the public school setting.

I totally agree with you Tate! This is a depressing reading passage, but yet like you said it seems like the truth. I know I felt like I was in jail more than a few days during my middle school years, and those hard days in high school when I had 4 test in one day, well, I think I would have been better off in a jail cell. At least I could have had some rest and relaxation. Maybe even caught a good episode of JAG on the tv. I feel that we just don't allow students to think freely enough and force them to think what we want them to think too much.

In the article, I was a bit troubled. The school system has followed such a strict curriculum that it does not give the student or the teacher freedom to teach or learn freely. Instead they must learn what the school tells them that they need to know. When Gatto states his seven deadly reasons it makes me angered at the school system. What can be done to stop the insanity?!? I understand that the school system has to make sure that the teacher is doing what a teacher needs to do, but why so strictly? How can we expect the students to think for themselves when someone is telling them what to think. Gatto is a great author/teacher and he brings up points that most are afraid to say or even think about. I have much respect for him and his writings! What can be done?