My high school experience compared to Gatto

I have to concede after reading Gattos essay that my high school experience was just that... boring.  I graduated in 1981from Issaquah Sr. High in Issaquah, Washington.  I don't have a lot of detailed recollections of school but I do still retain how I felt about school.
I can't say that I hated it but I certainly did not like it and I  did not enjoy too much of it.
Issaquah had an open campus.  At that school in particular, that meant that each classroom exited to the outdoors.  This was supposed to promote some sort of individuality I assume.  It failed in that regard.
My classes were all generic.  There was no challenge  for me except in one area.  I will explain that in a bit.  I did not do well in math so instead of finding a way to tutor me I was merely kept in a lower math that would fulfill graduation requirements.  I took a few different history courses - one I remember was WWII history in Europe, lots of old black and white documentaries there.  English - I remember the teacher but only because she did not like me and my friends.  Looking back I think she was just terribly bored.  Gym(PE) was fun but only because we were still allowed to play dodge ball.
I don't recall an actual teacher in PE.  Maybe we were left to our own devices after being given instructions and the teacher went off to do whatever they do.....
What I  did enjoy in high school and where I have most of my good memories was the NJROTC program at the school.  It was termed "Naval Science" for classroom purposes and that was fairly boring but the other activities involved with that class were challenging and I think were in a small part responsible for some of my later choices in life.  There was a rifle team which my brother excelled in, a drill team which I excelled in and the opportunity to learn leadership and teamsmanship, which we both excelled in.  The difference in teachers was very obvious as well.  All of my teachers were just that - teachers and unfortunately they fell into the trap that Gatto talks about.  My Naval Science instructors, on the other hand, were not just teachers, they were Navy.  There were two instructors, both retired navy officers.  We didn't even call them teachers, they were instructors. 
I wonder if I would have any positive recollections if the school had not offered NJROTC and there was nothing else to spark any interest for me.  Probably not.