Homeschool World Forum

[hbmom36]

Have any of you ever read "An Underground History of American Education"? I'm pretty certain I have the title correct, but can't for the life of me remember the author's name. He was a New York City public school teacher, and was voted Teacher of the Year twice. It's incredible-it gives you an understanding of WHY public education began in this country. It wasn't altruism. It happened because the WASPs were terrified that a lot of Catholic immigrants were coming to this country, and wanted a way to separate the children from their families, language and religion.

[bobbinsx5]

I believe that was John Taylor Gatto. We heard him speak at a homeschool conference a few years back and were very impressed by him. He seems very down to earth, and extrememly intelligent. (You don't find that combination, often!)

[Theodore]

Yes, it's quite an impressive tome. I've read it a couple times myself, and we like it so much that it's one of the few homeschooling books that we actually offer in our catalog.

You may also be interested in the book Is Public Education Necessary? by Sam Blumenfeld (I've included an Amazon link so you can read some reviews), and his article "The History of Public Education".
_________________
The Farming Game - Software Edition for PC, Mac, Linux
The board game has sold over 350,000 copies worldwide, garnered many awards, is used by over 2,000 schools, and is used extensively by homeschoolers.

[sevenkidsisgreat]

You can read Gatto's book online at

http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/underground/index.htm

I consider his books a must read for anyone in the home education movement. Totally AWESOME!

Cheryl