Story perspectives

Teachers Use Welles Crowther’s Red Bandanna in 9/11 Lessons

9/9/2026

Left

Teachers Teach 9/11

On September 11, 2026, the 25th anniversary of the 2001 attacks, U.S. teachers used Welles Crowther’s red bandanna story in classroom lessons.
Louisiana’s “Freedom Framework” places 9/11 lessons in second grade, embedding the tragedy early in the state curriculum.
State and federal leaders mandate 9/11 instruction, leaving teachers with emotional strain and limited resources.
Gordon Felt and families at Flight 93 Memorial warned omitting story threatens memory for post-9/11 generations.

Right

Texas Board Labels

On the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001 attacks, U.S. educators began teaching students using Welles Crowther’s Red Bandanna story.
The Texas Board of Education approved a social-studies curriculum that labels radical Islam as the motive for 9/11 and emphasizes Christianity’s historical influence.
Board members voted 8-3, with the Republican majority supporting the revisions.
Curriculum labels Islam as Muhammad’s brutal campaigns and slavery, prompting CAIR Texas to denounce it.

Center

Crowther Inspires Teaching

On September 11, 2026, the 25th anniversary of the 2001 attacks, U.S. teachers used Welles Crowther’s Red Bandanna story in classrooms.
Alison Crowther developed the Red Bandanna Project curriculum to teach students empathy and leadership through Crowther’s hero narrative.
About 40 states now require or suggest 9/11 instruction, often centering on personal hero stories.
University of Wisconsin researchers noted early post-9/11 curricula largely memorialized attacks with minimal context.

Blindspot

The Texas Board of Education approved a social-studies curriculum that characterizes radical Islam as the motive for 9/11 and mandates instruction on Christianity’s historical influence, with the vote passing 8-3 along party lines.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Right-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Left-leaning and Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

The National Center for History in the Schools, founded in 1988, received $2 million in 1991 federal funding and released the voluntary National History Standards in November 1994. Lynne Cheney’s Wall Street Journal editorial on October 20 1994 sparked Senate opposition, leading to a 99-1 resolution in January 1995. Today, the Texas Board of Education’s 8-3 vote on a 9/11 curriculum and Louisiana’s Freedom Framework echo that 1994 culture-war clash.

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Teachers Teach 9/11

On September 11, 2026, the 25th anniversary of the 2001 attacks, U.S. teachers used Welles Crowther’s red bandanna story in classroom lessons.
Louisiana’s “Freedom Framework” places 9/11 lessons in second grade, embedding the tragedy early in the state curriculum.
State and federal leaders mandate 9/11 instruction, leaving teachers with emotional strain and limited resources.
Gordon Felt and families at Flight 93 Memorial warned omitting story threatens memory for post-9/11 generations.

1 / 5