Gordon Felt and 40 Pennsylvania teachers gather at Flight 93 National Memorial to discuss 9/11 education
Teachers across the United States are working to find the best way to educate a new generation of students who were born after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. At a recent symposium held at the Flight 93 National Memorial, Gordon Felt and 40 other educators gathered to discuss how to convey the human and emotional aspects of the tragedy to students who view the event as distant history. Research indicates that at least 40 states now mandate or recommend that public schools address 9/11 in some capacity. However, state guidelines vary significantly in scope and detail. For example, Texas frames the attacks as an example of radical Islamic terrorism, while Colorado encourages students to analyze the broader societal aftermath, including Middle Eastern discrimination. Educators face the challenge of balancing historical facts with the emotional impact of the event. Some teachers, such as Martha "Marty" Runzer, use personal memories to frame the passengers and crew as "everyday superheroes," while others, like John Boston Bradley, who has no personal memory of the attacks, focus on the human stories to make the history more tangible for students.