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.
