Editorial Remarks: Back to the Future: Culture Wars, Education Legislation, Book Bannings, and Fake News

Happy 25th anniversary Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue. As noted in the editors’ call for manuscripts, anniversaries are times of reflection on the past, present, and possibilities for the future. As editors, we sought manuscripts for a special issue that focused on trends in teaching and/ or curriculum over the past 25 years, as well as research papers and conceptual essays concerned with the current trend of legislative attacks and interference. Thus, the editors sought reflection about this past quarter century of research on teaching and curriculum as well as appraisals of the current state and future of education. As editor of the issue with this special focus, I also contemplated how my own 35 years of work in education equipped me for the current climate. In the morning, as I sip a cup of warm coffee with almond milk and stevia, I often read about educational affairs in the daily newspaper on some form of electronic device. From this privileged vantage point, recent school news has not been overwhelmingly positive, I must confess.