John Taylor Gotto:
“We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness-curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids to truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then.”
John Gotto served in the public schools for more than 30 years and was named New York State’s teacher of the year in 1991. Today he is primary know for his blistering criticism of public education. His web page, published articles, and books, describe how he believes that education is not the primary goal of public schools. Instead, its purpose is to make people think alike, become more dependent on superiors, and develop a taste for boredom.
The reason for this according to Gotto, is that industrialist of the late 19th century needed factory workers who would be more suited for menial and repetitious work. Factor owners therefore helped to created factory model schools so that students would begin practicing factory life. The real education of the students was not to produces capable citizens but to stop their natural curiosity, independence, and creativity that would not be suitable for factory work.
Gotto’s works are not limited to just criticism. He also gives suggestions as to what educators should strive for in their classroom. He also suggests that education should not be compulsory and advocates privatization of schools so that they will compete for buisness as other industries do.
The Odysseys Group is a small but dedicated organization that shares Gotto’s vision of reforming schools. Many recourses can be found on their web page that explains Gotto's views and gives general information on educational theory. www.johntaylorgatto.com.
-T. Parker