I posted on another thread;
'From a purely academic standpoint, Gatto's 'research' is risible. He uses the classic approach of the demagogue with a point to prove; using statistics from different samples and time frames, generalising from specific studies (even when the authors have specifically stated that this should not happen)and inferring simple, linear causal relationships where many uncontrolled factors are in play. I'd expect (and get) better from one of my undergrad students.
I'm lucky, I have access to libraries and databases where I can chase down the sources of Gatto's ideas. I did so after reading his two latest books. He's about as credible as Goleman on Emotional Intelligence, i.e. not credible at all, really.'

In my view, he's a huckster trying to make a fast buck out of a system which mostly works well. There are problems, just as there are in the UK, but the vast majority of kids come out of the system ok. Some do better than others, and they all have different experiences, but to make the kind of sweeping generalisations that Gatto does lacks any sort of face validity, let alone statistical evidence.
Tim