John Gatto’s “Against School”

John Gatto’s “Against School” is a persuasive essay arguing both the ineffectiveness and negative outcomes of today’s public school system. Not only does Gatto provide credibility with his experience as a teacher, but he also presents historical evidence that suggests that the public school system is an outdated structure, originally meant to dumb down students as well as program them to be obedient pawns in society. Fact and authority alone do not supplement his argument. Gatto also uses emotional appeals, such as fear and doubt, to tear down the reader’s trust in the schooling system. Although it may seem to be so, Gatto’s argument is not one sided. He also offers suggestions to make the educational system more efficient at the hands of positive reinforcement and the employment of more motivated teachers. Through the effective application of ethos, logos, and pathos, John Gatto provides a well-rounded argument against the public school system that would cause any reader to question the goals of modern schooling. The first thing that Gatto does is put ethos to play by establishing this credibility with the audience in a number of ways. Before stating any of his claims against school, he thoughtfully informs his readers of his experience in the educational field in order to add more weight to his words. Not only had Gatto been a teacher for thirty years, but he also was elected New York City Teacher of the Year three times during that period and published a plethora of books on the subject of education. Without having specified this at the very start of his argument, Gatto could have failed to captivate his audience the way he had intended. A lack of expertise, whether it is because that expertise does not exist or because it simply was not made clear, could potentially harm any argument. This is especially the case when making marks against something like the educational system because a majority of the population is by default inclined to support such an