Maine Schools Mark 9/11 25th Anniversary Without State Teaching Mandate

Maine schools marked the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks without a state teaching mandate, with Maine remaining one of nine states without a state law requiring schools to teach students about 9/11.

“Maine remains one of nine states without a state law requiring schools to teach students about 9/11”

WGME

At Biddeford High School, history teacher Ryan Minzy said he is preparing lessons for Friday’s remembrance and told WGME, “These students never lived through 9/11 and to them it’s history,”.W

ABC News

Minzy said he expects a moment of silence and said, “I think that starts the students questioning,” while noting Maine’s social studies standards revised in 2019 do not specifically mention the Sept. 11 attacks.

Beth Lambert, the Maine Department of Education’s chief teaching and learning officer, said, “Educators really have to help students understand not only what happened but why it mattered,” and said parents should not be concerned that Sept. 11 is not specifically included in the state standards.

Lambert added, “We know putting an event on a required list by itself is not the same thing as really ensuring that students are developing a meaningful understanding of it,” as local school districts determine what is taught in classrooms.

Ceremonies for the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks are scheduled for New York City, Virginia and Pennsylvania, with ABC News saying Friday will mark 25 years since the attacks claimed the lives of 2,977 people at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.A

ABC News also said another 9,000 people have died from 9/11-related illnesses over the last 25 years, and that victims’ families, first responders and politicians will gather at memorials in downtown Manhattan, the Pentagon in Virginia, and Shanksville.A

ABC7 New York

In New York City, the New York City Fire Museum is receiving a memorial bell created to honor FDNY members and other first responders who died from 9/11-related illnesses, and ABC7 New York said the bell arrived ahead of its official unveiling on Sept. 11.

Project leader Dominick DeRubbio told ABC7 New York, “We hope this bell, it brings some peace to the families, to say we worked really hard to do something special for you,” and said the bell was cast in Agnone, Italy, at Marinelli, described as the oldest family-run bell foundry in the world and the official foundry of the Vatican.

DeRubbio said the bell is installed at the New York City Fire Museum and will be officially unveiled Friday, adding, “Knowing that we haven't forgotten about these members that died and that we will continue to tell their stories and do a better job day by day,”.

Ahead of the 25th anniversary, drones were used to recreate New York’s Twin Towers in a tribute, with Al Jazeera saying the installation used 2,977 lights, one for each person killed.

“The installation used 2,977 lights, one for each person killed.”

Al Jazeera

CNN reported that 2,977 lights, one for each life lost during 9/11, were assembled to depict the Twin Towers over New York Harbour in a commemorative display, and said organizers described it as “aerial artwork” made in collaboration with artists, 9/11 families, survivors, and first responders.

In Washington, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is honoring the 25th anniversary with displays of dozens of rarely seen objects, and NBC4 Washington said the exhibit runs through Saturday and is unique because items are displayed on tables rather than behind glass.

NBC4 Washington said the museum is under growing scrutiny by President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress over the manner in which it tells American history, and it quoted museum director Anthea Hartig saying some items are “so fragile they'll probably never go on display.”

Hartig also said, “This museum exists as a repository, as a place of memory,” and NBC4 Washington reported that Trump later ordered signs installed in front of the museum telling visitors that some exhibits are inaccurate, while more than a month later the signs had not been installed.