Opinion
Education Opinion

In Memoriam

January 01, 2004 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

In the August/September 2003 issue, under the headline “A Really Great Gig,” I wrote about Brendan Halpin, a 10-year veteran whose teaching memoir, Losing My Faculties, was just out in bookstores. It wasn’t his first. That one, It Takes a Worried Man, is about how he coped with the diagnosis and treatment of his wife, Kirsten Shanks, for stage IV breast cancer. While in Boston to report my story, I talked with Kirsten, who struck me as friendly, generous, and, despite her illness, healthy. But little more than three months later, in late October, Kirsten passed away. She was just 35. In the summer, Kirsten was working part-time, doing job-skills training for immigrants, but she devoted the bulk of her energy to Rowen, the couple’s 6-year-old daughter. Kirsten met Brendan when they were undergrads at the University of Pennsylvania, and she was there when he decided, a few years later, to become a teacher. She’s the one who suggested that Brendan write what he was feeling about her treatment, and the first memoir followed. The staff of Teacher Magazine sends its deepest condolences to the Halpin and Shanks families.

—Rich Shea, Executive Editor

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
The Future of the Science of Reading
Join us for a discussion on the future of the Science of Reading and how to support every student’s path to literacy.
Content provided by HMH
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
From Classrooms to Careers: How Schools and Districts Can Prepare Students for a Changing Workforce
Real careers start in school. Learn how Alton High built student-centered, job-aligned pathways.
Content provided by TNTP
Student Well-Being Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: The Power of Emotion Regulation to Drive K-12 Academic Performance and Wellbeing
Wish you could handle emotions better? Learn practical strategies with researcher Marc Brackett and host Peter DeWitt.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: July 16, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
5 min read
Education Follow Education Week’s K-12 Coverage on Bluesky
Education Week has joined the social media platform Bluesky.
1 min read
Illustration of Education Week and Bluesky logos.
F. Sheehan/Education Week
Education Quiz Who Qualifies to Receive the First-ever Federal School Voucher? Take the Quiz to Find Out
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz Trump’s Surprise Freeze on School Funding—How Much Do You Know?
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read