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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 2002

News Release

Statement by the National Education Association on its Remember Sept. 11
Web Site

As educators, the National Education Association has a special role to play in helping our young people prepare for the world outside our classrooms, and we are honored to teach the values that make America strong. Toward that end, the NEA established a "Remember September 11" Web site to help parents and educators deal with the range of issues children may face.

Our "Remember September 11" site is the most comprehensive location on the Web for Sept. 11 materials. It is a virtual library of links to a variety of Web resources from news sites, the Department of Defense, PBS, the American Red Cross, and a myriad other sources. The site's main feature is the more than 100 age-appropriate lesson plans submitted by NEA members and selected by educators.

The site has been subjected to some criticism by those who have taken the material out of context. Using this national tragedy to attempt to score political points is a new low, and we urge visitors to make their own assessments of its value. We are confident that most will find the site quite useful in helping our young people cope with the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks

We join our fellow Americans in meeting the challenges before us. The days and months ahead will be difficult for all as we continue our efforts to eradicate terrorism and hold responsible those who committed the Sept. 11 atrocities. It is our hope that our Web site will help parents and our members better equip our young people with the skills and knowledge they need to ensure that our great country endures.

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.