A review by elizaed
Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling by John Taylor Gatto

3.0

An often fascinating and disturbing assessment of American public education by a former NYC teacher of the year. I couldn't rate it higher because the writing is often clunky and unconvincing (probably in part because at least some of it was taken from speeches). The book is also twenty years old and therefore lacks discussion of the impact of the internet on American childhood and education, which is a key missing piece IMO. I also didn't agree with some of Gotts key points. However, the stronger parts of the book really made me consider our educational system in a way I hadn't before. And that made it worth the read.