As the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approach, yesterday, Governor Cuomo signed legislation to create the September 11th Remembrance Day which shall enable the observance of a brief moment of silence on each September 11th in public school classrooms.
The bill (S04166A/A01801-B; the Senate version can be found here) amends Section 802 of the New York Education Law which covers instruction related to the American Flag and certain holidays (e.g. Lincoln’s birthday, Washington’s birthday, Memorial Day and flag day) and directs the Commissioner of the New York State Education Department to make special provision for a moment of silence to remember the day. As stated in the Governor’s press release which can be found here, the intent behind the law is to “encourage dialogue and education in the classroom, and to ensure future generations have an understanding of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and their place in history.”
On this 18th anniversary of the attacks, we honor those who lost their lives and risked their lives to save others on that day, and we are thankful for those who work each and every day to keep us and our kids safe. While we teach students about this history of September 11th, we also say “Never Again”, in the hopes that this generation will not have to experience such a tragedy.
