[footfootfoot]

I only want to address one of your many points tw, as to the matter of numbers and class size.

Before we can even begin to discuss whether 5, 15, 30, or more students per class is "better", we need to define: better for what? Better at producing math and science geniuses who will back science which argues favorably for burning coal and oil? Or for producing math and science geniuses who will come up with better ways to monitor billions of hours of cell phone conversations daily so we can keep tabs on our citizens?

Or perhaps better at producing free and creative thinkers who are able to envision a new global paradigm which doesn't rely on corporate welfare in order to artificially stimulate the economy. Or maybe it will create a better system of education to make the united states the envy of the art world, producing art, dance, and music that heal and nourish and empower people, instead of feed them into the machine of commerce making corporate rock, and "blue chip" investment paintings which have no message other than potential returns on investment.

What, exactly are our eduactional goals anyway? We need to agree on this before we can decide how many students per class we'll have.

John Taylor Gatto's premise is that our educational system is designed to create an army of factory workers who are trained to conform, be easily led, are used to being lined up, graded for performance, and to cowboy up and take it. If that's the case, then all is hunky dory with our so called eduactional system.