It’s been a year since Arizona native and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor passed.
As our nation faces the challenges of deep polarization, plummeting trust in institutions, and technological, economic and cultural disruption, it feels particularly important to honor her life and legacy.
Most Americans remember O’Connor as the first woman on the Supreme Court, where she served from 1981 to 2006. She found common ground with her ideological opposition on the court — and set an example that we would do well to remember today.
But O’Connor also was the first woman in U.S. history to be elected as a state Senate majority leader, an experience that left her with an enduring love for civic engagement.
And after leaving the Supreme Court in 2006, O’Connor made the decision to spend the rest of her life advocating for civic education across our nation.
At the time of O’Connor’s retirement, the 50-year transformation of America’s education........