As we approach the 25th anniversary of the fatal day that permanently altered American civilization, experts say national memory is in jeopardy. Heritage Foundation Fellow Corey DeAngelis told The Washington Stand that he believes these are the stakes when it comes to preserving the truth about September 11, 2001. “Kids need to know who hit us, why they hit us, and how first responders ran toward the fire,” he insisted.

According to Beth Hillman, 59, president of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, “Many in my generation remember exactly where we were on that horrific day,” but “100 million Americans were not even born or are too young to remember.” 

Chief Executive Officer of the Teacher Freedom Alliance Ryan Walters said on “Washington Watch” that during his tenure as a U.S. history teacher for 10 years, it became apparent to him that the way some schools approach teaching about 9/11 is detrimental to young people. 

“These are students [who] didn’t live during 9/11, so what they’re being taught in the classroom is so important, that they understand the significance of that. And what we saw right from the beginning are groups like the [National Education Association], [and] the teachers unions came in with their guidance around to teach 9/11,” Walters explained. 

“They gut the intentions of the hijackers. They gut any mention of radical Islam in those teachings, and it really becomes very glossed over. When you look at blue states, there’s barely any mentions of it. When you look at red states, there’s some, but there’s not enough because so many states have allowed left-wing groups and the teachers unions to push what’s being taught in schools, in the curriculum.”

A 2026 poll by Pew Research Center found that 10% of adults today only know about the attacks through information others have taught them. Sixty percent of these adults 18 to 24 report first learning about 9/11 in class or through schoolwork. 

DeAngelis said that government-funded schools often weaponize lessons on 9/11 to promote their own progressive agenda. “If government schools fail to teach them what actually happened that day, the next generation will inherit the country without understanding the attack that defined this century. Too many public schools now use September 11 as a vehicle for lectures on Islamophobia and American guilt. They downplay Islamic terrorism, skip the motive, and spend more time on the feelings of everyone except the 2,977 people who were murdered.”

Walters asserted that he believes the motive behind this is to indoctrinate children to resent their country. “They want our kids to hate this country … join the Democrat[ic] Party and be social justice warriors,” he warned. “They do not want American exceptionalism taught in schools. They don’t ever want America to be viewed as the good guy. Somehow, they always manage that we’re the bad guy in every scenario, even when we’re attacked by radical Islamic terrorists. … It’s a popular theme because that is their woke ideology and it’s also their method to political power.”

Walters also pointed out that this comes at a time when there is increased hostility in society towards Christians and Jews, noting that the Teacher Freedom Alliance strives to see patriotism and love of country taught.

“Students who never learn the truth about 9/11 will be easy marks for the next round of lies,” DeAngelis warned. “Parents should not have to battle the government school monopoly for an honest history lesson. Give families school choice. If the assigned school wants to obfuscate 9/11, they should be able to leave and take their education dollars with them.”