Story perspectives

Educators Debate How to Teach 9/11 Amid Profiling Concerns

9/9/2026

Center

Teachers Discuss 9/11

In summer 2026, teachers gathered at the Flight 93 National Memorial in western Pennsylvania to discuss how to teach the September 11 attacks.
Civil-liberties groups warn the Transportation Security Administration’s watchlist checks and risk-based screening, used to speed travelers, may enable profiling.
At least 40 states have laws or standards requiring or recommending public-school instruction on September 11.
A Pew poll found 60 % born after 2000 learned of the attacks in school.

Left

Educators Discuss 9/11

Educators gathered for three summer days at the Flight 93 National Memorial in western Pennsylvania to discuss teaching the September 11 attacks.
They stressed preserving memory and confronting the attacks’ social impacts, such as discrimination and civil-liberty debates, for students born after 2001.
Louisiana’s 2022 “Freedom Framework” mandates attack discussion by second grade, Education Superintendent Cade Brumley said.
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum raised $25 million in 2026 for student trips and workshops.

Blindspot

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum raised more than $25 million in 2026 to fund student field trips, educator workshops, and instructional resources, according to the museum.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

The September 11, 2001 attacks killed 2,977 people and prompted the 2002 Homeland Security Act, creating the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration. Memorials such as the Flight 93 National Memorial—whose visitor center opened in 2015—and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum (opened 2014) now host educators in 2026 to study the attacks’ legacy.

1 of 4

Teachers Discuss 9/11

In summer 2026, teachers gathered at the Flight 93 National Memorial in western Pennsylvania to discuss how to teach the September 11 attacks.
Civil-liberties groups warn the Transportation Security Administration’s watchlist checks and risk-based screening, used to speed travelers, may enable profiling.
At least 40 states have laws or standards requiring or recommending public-school instruction on September 11.
A Pew poll found 60 % born after 2000 learned of the attacks in school.

1 / 4