John+Taylor+Gatto+(Section+11+Group+4)

[|] http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/index.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Taylor_Gatto
 * Shaker**
 * Name:** John Taylor Gatto
 * Basic Work:** Retired school teacher of 29 years and author of five books and publications to share his insight on school systems.
 * Key Personnel:** The Odysseus Group, started by Gatto and Roland Legiardi-Laura, is comprised of volunteers that create ways of financially and politically supporting the search for a more efficient school system.
 * Why/ How A Shaker:** John Taylor Gatto disagrees with the teachings of educational leaders such as Cotton Mather, John Dewey and Horace Mann’s principles. He believes that the most beneficial aspect of schooling is to become socialized with others. Dewey, on the other hand, believed that it is most important to grow as an individual. He found that the process of educating the immature is the most important aspect. He believes firmly in the idea that in order to be all that you can be as an individual, you must be able to connect with others. Gatto strongly feels that students are taught to get an education for one main purpose: to make money later in life, which is just wrong. As an activist to change the focus of the education systems, Gatto is the author of five books and publications including, __Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling__, __The Exhausted School__, __A Different Kind of Teacher: Solving the Crisis of American Schooling__, __The Underground History of American Education__ and //Against School: How Public Education Cripples Our Kids, and Why//. He is also in the process of creating a documentary series, entitled “The Fourth Purpose,” which will examine the troubles with today’s education system and survey parents, teachers, and students to figure out alternative ways for the education system. His books reach out to those that try to better school systems and use it as a tool to learn new concepts. The focus is for those further interested in making a change to join the Odysseus Group.
 * Links:**