Essay Database

Some events seem momentous when they occur but gradually fade from consciousness, overtaken by fresh headlines and the distractions of daily life. Only once in a great while does something happen that will be taught by future historians. Just such an incident occurred on Sept. 11. The deadly attacks on New York and Washington have left us groping for support, for words, for a way to make meaning and recover our balance. Almost 30 years ago, my …

…fresh reason to ask whether we are teaching students to think for themselves or simply to do what they're told. Ultimately, though, the standard by which to measure our schools is the extent to which the next generation comes to understand - and fully embrace - this simple truth: The life of someone who lives in Kabul or Baghdad is worth no less than the life of someone in New York or from our neighborhood.