The New York Times, September 4, 1910. Click image for pdf.
For the Chicago Teacher’s Union: Elaine Purkey – “One Day More” (click to listen and download)
Excerpts from a speech given to the 1916 Convention of the National Education Association, “The Public Schools and the Working Man,” (full speech linked). Gompers was followed by John Dewey on the program!
From the introduction:
On the schools, the labor movement and combating inequality:
On the role of teachers in the maintenance of a “truly American spirit”:
On Vocational Education (more here):
On Lifelong learning:
On teachers in the labor movement:
Closing thoughts:
Powerful and important ideas.
For those in Madison, please join the celebration of Labor Day at LaborFest, September 3, 12:00 Noon to 5:30, at the Labor Temple, 1602 S. Park St (poster/flier linked here). Good music, good food, good people, good idea.
Previous AMPS Labor Day posts:
Margaret Haley: A Heroine of Education, Labor, Feminism and Politics.
This is the third in a new series on AMPS: Blasts from the Past. The series is devoted to historical materials that comment on or illuminate contemporary issues in education.
Thomas J. Mertz
AMPS 
Simply marvelous! To think that I had forgotten about Samuel Gompers. Thank you for sharing these still relevant insights into the nature, purpose, and struggles of public education. Teachers everywhere should take these words to heart and share them at every opportunity.