The Promise of Progressivism: Angelo Patri and Urban Education

The Promise of Progressivism: Angelo Patri and Urban Education is a biography of the well-known progressive educator during the first half of the twentieth century. A follower of John Dewey, Patri was the principal of two large community-oriented progressive schools in the Bronx from 1907 to 1944. As the first Italian-American school administrator in the United States, he helped immigrant families to maintain their language and heritage while preparing for success in American society. Patri’s syndicated column of advice for parents was carried in hundreds of newspapers, had millions of readers, and provided material for the twelve advice books he published for parents. As educator and writer, Patri helped immigrants and mainstream Americans to understand one another and to work together for the common good.