He doesn't mince words.

I came across a new website called MyKidsDeserveBetter.com . And I thought John T. Gatto didn't mince words! This is Joel Turtel's site and yes, he is hawking a book. It's called "Public Schools, Public Menace". I haven't read it but I can agree wholeheartedly with this part of his site:

Watch out for these danger signals, and pay attention to them:

1. Does your child say he or she hates school?

2. Does your child come from school tired and cranky?

3. Does your child come home complaining about conflicts that they’ve had in school and unfair situations that they have been exposed to?

4. Has your child lost interest in creative expression through art, music, and dance?

5. Has your child stopped reading for fun, or reading or writing for pleasure? Is your child doing just the minimum for homework and going off for some escapist activity?

6. Does your child procrastinate until the last minute to do homework?

7. Does your child come home talking about anything exciting that happened in school that day? If not, maybe nothing exciting is happening for your child in school.

8. Did the school nurse or guidance counselor suggest that your normal, healthy child has some strange four-lettered disease, like ADHD, and that they should now be given Ritalin or some other drug?

9. Does your child find it difficult to look an adult in the eye, or to interact with children younger or older than they are?

10. Does your child’s reading or writing ability seem far below what you would expect for his or her grade level?

And I have heard parents say the very things Mr. Turtel speaks about here:

However, I knew that the subject of education and public schools required a much fuller treatment. That is why I wrote my second book, Public Schools, Public Menace. I also wrote this book because I happen to love kids. I love their bright, creative, spontaneous minds and energy. After doing research for this book, I was appalled and frightened at how badly public schools can hurt our children. These schools can cripple childrens’ spirit, their love of learning, their ability to read, and teach them values that many parents despise.[ From his About page.]

They sent bright happy children off to kindergarten and sullen and dispondent spirits stepped off the bus.