As we return to work, I am reminded of where I stood on January 28, 1986. I was in a middle school watching the Challenger launch on TV and cheering on a teacher member of the mission. Moments later, America watched the shuttle parts spiral downward in its devastating journey back to earth. Today, on the 30th anniversary of the Challenger space shuttle disaster, I was inspired to see how one teacher’s legacy encouraged her students to join our profession. I think about young teachers in our ranks today—former Albemarle students—here because teachers among us catalyzed them to seek to teach. I think about each of you who chose this profession likely because of a teacher in your life. And I remember Christa McAuliffe.

AP News reports: Challenger disaster: McAuliffe’s students go on to teach

Thirty years after the Concord High School class of ’86 watched social studies teacher Christa McAuliffe and six astronauts perish when the space shuttle Challenger broke apart on live TV, a number of them have gone into teaching—and some wonder if, indirectly, the tragedy affected them enough that they wanted to make a difference, as she did. Read more on AP News: The Big Story »