John Taylor Gatto on Unschooling - Part 1

[oldno74]

@Ex0dus111 Funny, most of the successful people I know didn't go to a university. It's called being creative and motivated. Many college graduates are the ones sitting on their ass looking for work and making minimum payments on their credit cards and loans.

[Ex0dus111]

@oldno74 Oh yeah, succesfull people you know? Hard to argue with ur personal "expereince". Lets look at some facts instead, like the top 10 CEOs of America:

1. Warren Buffet, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, has a net worth of $45 billion and commands a minimal annual salary of $100,000. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska and his Master’s degree in Economics from Columbia Business College.

[Ex0dus111]

@Ex0dus111 2. Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft, has a net worth of $13.1 billion. His annual salary is $1,267,670. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Economics, and later dropped out of Stanford University Graduate School of Business to join Microsoft.

[Ex0dus111]

@Ex0dus111 3. With an estimated worth of $12.6 billion, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos only commands an annual salary of $81,840. He graduated summa cum laude from Princeton with a Bachelor of Science degree in both Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

[Ex0dus111]

@Ex0dus111 4. If you’ve ever Googled someone, you might want to thank Google CEO Eric Schmidt for it. His personal worth is valued at $5.45 billion and his annual salary is in the form of an honorarium at one dollar. He graduated from Princeton with his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering then earned his Masters and his Doctorate in Electrical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. Schmidt has the distinction of being the only CEO in the top ten with a PhD.

[Ex0dus111]

@Ex0dus111 5. Charles Schwab, the CEO of Charles Schwab brokerage and banking firm, has a net worth of $47 billion with an annual salary is $500,000. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Stanford University and later earned his MBA from there as well.

[Ex0dus111]

@Ex0dus111 6. CEO of his eponymous firm, Donald Trump has a net worth of $2 billion with an annual salary is around $50,000,000. His alma mater is the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics, after transferring from Fordham University his second year.

[Ex0dus111]

@Ex0dus111 7. The last of the top ten CEOs to have a college degree is Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks. Schultz has a net worth of $1.1 billion and commands an annual baseline salary of $10,000. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Northern Michigan University.

[Ex0dus111]

@Ex0dus111 and 8 to 10 are just College dropouts.

But I guess u dont personally know any of these people...

[oldno74]

@Ex0dus111 I'm not impressed with your top 10 list. Ten people out of few billion doesn't get me excited. I'm talking about the millions of successful entrepreneurs that never got a college degree or H.S. diploma for that matter, who run small businesses that employ many many people. You want big names with no college degree or H.S. diploma? Mary Kay, Simon Cowell, Michael Dell, WALT DISNEY, Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Milton Hershey, Steve Jobs, Ty Warner, Frank Loyd Wright to name a few.

[Anonymous247n]

So the problem is... following orders? I'd agree, but that's unfortunately how the system works. The one with the money gives out orders, and those who want jobs follow them.

[givebirthathome]

@Mikashmak Around 74, here.

[Mikashmak]

I love the story near the end of this video. The story of the 3 girls is a great example of the outcome or "product" of unschooling/homeschooling.

[kozychik]

@Mikashmak I know; it sounds very inspiring. I just ordered the book. I think what motivated me to do so was more the desire to relive my childhood vicariously through their story then the need for more information about unschooling.

[OurFadedGarden]

@maxmaxmaxmaxm That does not change the fact that many will not learn to read.

BTW I don't have children.

[4evalovenpeace]

@mkathyking, I don't think all parents are capable of unschooling or homeschooling, especially those that choose to use drugs. This is about parents who realize their own potential to learn and their children's potential to learn. Then it's about trust and guidance from those who love you.

[Snordoo]

@ - ourfadedgarden - You can learn anything the place matters not. Let's say just for fun that it is 150 years ago. There are no public schools at this time. How would you have taught yourself to read? If there was a library in town or a bookseller you could ask them. You may have to help them with some odd jobs but they could be tools. Could you have asked one of the neighbors? Sure. No one can do it FOR you though.

[mkathyking]

@Snordoo 

[mkathyking]

@Snordoo No library out where I live.People n town r busy doing their job @ the library. Time 2 stop & teach children how 2 read? How would the children out here, get 2 town? The neighbors? Some of my neighbors work. MOST r home doing drugs & thank God, their children r n school! They would not b teaching them how 2 read if they weren't. They only get something worth eating when they go 2 school! I agree the school standards need 2 increase greatly! Pulling children out school isn't the answer!

[Snordoo]

@ sixwing - have you ever thought sweety that maybe you just weren't ready to read? When you did learn to read, you did it, not the school. The school/ parents are just there to give you tools to assist. Think about it, when you learned to walk, did your parents "teach" you to walk? No they held on to tiny fingers for balence and you did all the hard work.

[OurFadedGarden]

I would not have learned to read if it weren't for school. My parents would not have taught me.

[sixwingproductions]

this is a bad kind of education my mom tried it and i was un able to read at my grade level and had to go to public 3rd grade twice after i was homeschooled in it once so have fun.

[spystyle]

John Taylor Gatto is a hero 

[andrewada]

The government is the agent. The corporates are the customers. The schools are the factories. The product is you.

And that's been the simple truth for about 100 years. Schools = human resource factories. Period.

[mkathyking]

@andrewada I just don't get it! Why are so many people, pleased with this degrading statement about themselves? If I am the "Product", then...WOW, not a bad job at all!