N.J. teacher fired over students' 'get well' letters to convicted cop killer

[hack89]

ORANGE — As its meeting stretched past midnight, the Orange school board on Wednesday voted to terminate the employment of a third-grade teacher for allowing her students to write "get well" letters to a convicted cop killer.

A first-year teacher at Forest Street Elementary School, Zuniga has said her students asked her about writing the "get well" letters to Mumia Abu-Jamal after she told them he was gravely ill. She later posted a tweet about her students' letters being delivered to Abu-Jamal.

Abu-Jamal, who was formerly on death row, is serving a life sentence for killing Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981. Abu-Jamal has been hospitalized with complications from diabetes.

After learning about the students' letters through news reports, school officials suspended Zuniga with pay on April 10. In a statement at the time, officials said they had no prior knowledge about the letters, and said Zuniga did not seek prior approval or notify parents about this "unauthorized activity."

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2015/05/nj_teacher_fired_over_students_get_well_letters_to.html

What a mess.

[Kalidurga]

1. I don't get the problem

Except maybe she should have had a dialogue with the parents first. Mumia is a political prisoner so it would seem good moral people would want to send him a get well card and a gift.

[hack89]

2. Or Mumia is a cop killing murderer - take your pick

the point being it was incredibly naive of her to think there would not be intense public blow back from this stunt.

[Kalidurga]

4. What evidence do you have he is a murderer?

That doesn't fall apart under scrutiny?

[hack89]

6. I have no strong feelings about him one way or the other

my only point is that he is not universally regarded as a political prisoner. In fact, I would suspect that it is a minority view. This teacher should have realized that many people would take exception to what she did.

[leftynyc]

9. He's been convicted of murder

We can argue all day about whether it was a fair trial or not but that's not the point. This teacher was thoroughly inappropriate in not notifying parents they were sending get well cards to a convicted murderer and deserved to be fired. She's truly stupid.

[Nye Bevan]

38. He never even denied killing the cop (nt)

[samsingh]

74. isn't he in jail?

[morningfog]

31. I don't see the problem with sending him well wishes even if he did kill a cop.

[hack89]

35. Some parents don't want their kids communicating with criminals

it is not complicated.

[morningfog]

36. We communicate and interact with "criminals" everyday.

[hack89]

37. I have never communicated with a murderer

I would not want my kids doing it without my knowledge.

[morningfog]

43. You have absolutely no way of knowing that.

Murderers walk amongst us on parole or after wrapping up.

[hack89]

46. Are you deliberately being obtuse?

I am talking about convicted murderers in prison. I do not want my kids communicating to violent felons without my knowledge.

[morningfog]

75. So you concede you have no way of knowing how many "criminals," "convicted murderers" or

"violent felons" you or your kids communicate with or have communicated with?

You must concede that because you have no way of knowing. And I guarantee that you and your kids (if you have any) have communicated with violent felons and probably convicted murderers as well. There are a lot of convicted violent felons walking amongst us. That may make you uncomfortable, but it is the reality.

The only thing that distinguishes Mumia is that he is serving a life sentence, so he remains incarcerated. There is nothing more dangerous about him than those you interact with on the street. In fact, if you are concerned about you and your kid's personal safety when communicating with convicted felons, a prisoner serving a lifer w/o parole sentence is about as safe as you can get.

What is your fear about what Mumia could do you or your kids when he receives their well wishes?

[delta17]

94. In this case, the parents have a way of knowing.

It's pretty common knowledge that he killed a police officer and is serving a life sentence for it.

[840high]

86. Oh please - convicted cop murderer.

[morningfog]

93. Huh?

I fail to see your point. Are you suggesting that no persons convicted of killing a cop have ever been released from prison?

Or are you saying that a person who kills a cop is somehow worse than a person who kills a non-cop?

[delta17]

95. You are splitting hairs here.

The guy is a convicted murderer. The parents in the school district don't want their kids sending him letters.

[840high]

106. I am saying the teacher was wrong.

[BlueJazz]

45. I'm with you morningfog. Damn, he was convicted in 1981, which in itself doesn't grant him any ...

...special status but you would think after 29 years a little compassion is warranted by the populace.

[brooklynite]

62. So then, birthday cards for Charles Manson?

I HAS been awhile.....

[morningfog]

112. For fucks sake.

If you can't distinguish Manson and Mumia, you are helpless.

And I am not talking about their culpability. I am talking about what they did with their time. Their time in prison.

[Oktober]

113. May he continue to rot...

[BlueJazz]

117. He will. Anyway, there's ten of thousands who should be with him...and they're not.

That's why I forgive. Not because I'm so nice but because I know the guy was just not-as-lucky as some people.

[Oktober]

118. So it's a good start...

There's no reason to forgive...

That cop's family has been without their brother/father/son for almost 30 years because of this trash.

Let him rot...

[cali]

3. I get the problem. These are third grade students and she

shouldn't have involved them in this and fed them her personal views on a controversial issue. Also, he's a convicted murderer and whether you or the teacher believe he's really a political prisoner, doesn't change that.

[Kalidurga]

5. I think perhaps she should have used the opportunity to educate the parents.

Here is a good example of how the legal system works against black people far more than it does white people. If Mumia had been a white cab driver he wouldn't have been convicted, he might not even have been a suspect for very long. But, since cops have no problem with tampering with evidence and/or planting it we have the highest incarceration rate in the world.

[B2G]

10. It's a horrible example

But thanks for playing.

[cali]

17. Bad idea

"educating" the parents doesn't change that
.
In any case, that's irrelevant. This is not something, which as a teacher, you involve 8 and 9 year old kids in. It's far too complicated, confusing and controversial.

[pintobean]

59. The school board used the opportunity to educate her.

Rightfully so.

[Human101948]

21. But if she had them send letters to Dick Cheney she would never have been fired...

despite the fact that he is a war criminal who killed about a million times more people than this one black man.

[morningfog]

32. Convicted murderers are still people. I don't have a problem with using it as a lesson in compassion

I think sending well wishes or letters to a convicted murderer who has done good work while inside and has rehabilitated is a good thing.

[cali]

42. they are 8 and 9 years old- far too young. And there's something

really wrong with a teacher using her students- particularly such young ones- in the employ of expressing her political opinions.

Even had a student suggested this, it'd be a crap idea at this age.

[morningfog]

44. She certainly could have done it better.

Prior disclosure to parents, giving the choice to opt in or out, and there was no need to inject her politics.

My point is simply that having children write to rehabilitated and ill prisoners is not a bad exercise. In fact, I think it could be a very positive experience if done properly.

[EX500rider]

11. "Mumia is a political prisoner" Not sure you know what that means...

Mumia Abu-Jamal was convicted and sentenced to death in 1982 for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner.
On December 9, 1981, Faulkner was fatally shot while conducting a routine traffic stop of Abu-Jamal's brother, William Cook. Abu-Jamal was found at the scene with a bullet wound from Faulkner's gun and his own discharged revolver beside him. He was arrested and charged with Faulkner's murder.
Prosecution witnesses identified Abu-Jamal as the shooter and two testified that he had confessed to shooting Faulkner. A jury convicted Abu-Jamal on all counts and sentenced him to death.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumia_Abu-Jamal

How does any of that make him a "political prisoner"?

[NaturalHigh]

13. How does any of that make him a "political prisoner"?

It doesn't. "Political prisoner" is a phrase people sometimes use to try to shut down debate and ignore facts. I'm certainly not suggesting that there are no political prisoners, or even that there aren't some in the U.S., but Jamal isn't one of them. He's an unrepentant killer whose cause became trendy for a small but vocal few.

[Comrade Grumpy]

15. You could have read just a teensy bit further in the Wiki entry.

Activists, celebrities, and self-proclaimed liberal groups have criticized the perceived lack of fairness of Abu-Jamal's trial, professed his innocence, and opposed his death sentence.[2][3][4] The Faulkner family, public authorities, police organizations, and self-described conservative groups have maintained that Abu-Jamal's trial was fair, his guilt undeniable, and his death sentence appropriate. Once described as "perhaps the world's best known death-row inmate" by The New York Times,[5] during his imprisonment Abu-Jamal has published books and commentaries on social and political issues, including Live from Death Row (1995).

[EX500rider]

16. I read the whole thing....fact is he was convicted of murder.

Have any witnesses recanted or evidence found to be planted?
How did he get shot and how did HIS pistol kill the officer?

[NaturalHigh]

24. Don't expect any actual answers of facts.

Just more of the usual innuendo and maybes and what ifs.

[NotoriousRBG]

30. They planted the bullet in his body after the fact of course.

Makes sense.

[bananas]

102. Yes, witnesses have recanted. nt

[bananas]

104. Here's a news article from 1996

http://articles.philly.com/1996-10-02/news/25666471_1_mumia-abu-jamal-abu-jamal-supporters-leonard-weinglass

[Kalidurga]

18. Excellent use of the copy and paste function

But it adds absolutely nothing in the form of evidence.

[EX500rider]

19. "But it adds absolutely nothing in the form of evidence."

You mean besides the whole he was shot by the officer and the officer was shot by his gun and he was identified as the shooter by the witnesses?

[Kalidurga]

20. Eye witness testimony is notoriously bad or just wrong.

[EX500rider]

23. How about the gunshot wound from the officers gun & his gun shooting him dead?

[Kalidurga]

25. The officers gun shot him dead?

That is not what I read about the case. I read that they have no gunshot residue on Mumia and that an officer at the scene handled the gun without gloves. And that they did no tests on the bullets because they lost them. This case wouldn't pass the smell test if it happened today. The fact it happened in a more blatantly racist time makes it smell even more IMO.

[EX500rider]

27. Mumia's gun shot the officer.

The prosecution presented four witnesses to the court. Robert Chobert, a cab driver who testified he was parked behind Faulkner, identified Abu-Jamal as the shooter. Cynthia White, a prostitute, testified that Abu-Jamal emerged from a nearby parking lot and shot Faulkner. Michael Scanlan, a motorist, testified that from two car lengths away, he saw a man, matching Abu-Jamal's description, run across the street from a parking lot and shoot Faulkner. Albert Magilton, a pedestrian who did not see the actual murder, testified to witnessing Faulkner pull over Cook's car. At the point of seeing Abu-Jamal start to cross the street toward them from the parking lot, Magilton turned away and lost sight of what happened next.

The prosecution also presented two witnesses who were at the hospital after the shootings. Hospital security guard Priscilla Durham and police officer Garry Bell testified that Abu-Jamal confessed in the hospital by saying, "I shot the motherfucker, and I hope the motherfucker dies."

A .38 caliber Charter Arms revolver, belonging to Abu-Jamal, with five spent cartridges was retrieved beside him at the scene. He was wearing a shoulder holster, and Anthony Paul, the Supervisor of the Philadelphia Police Department's firearms identification unit, testified at trial that the cartridge cases and rifling characteristics of the weapon were consistent with bullet fragments taken from Faulkner's body.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumia_Abu-Jamal

[Kalidurga]

28. Eye witnesses still continue to be unreliable perhaps you have some gunshot residue to talk about...

2. How does Mumia’s story of incarceration begin? Early in the morning of December 9, 1981, while driving his cab, Mumia happened upon the arrest of his brother by a police officer. Mumia stopped his car to see what was going on. Out of that encounter, a police officer, Daniel Faulkner, was shot and killed by somebody. Mumia was found semi-conscious, sitting nearby with a bullet from Faulkner’s gun in his stomach. Mumia’s gun, which he acquired because he had recently been held-up while driving his cab, was allegedly found nearby. Eventually he was tried, convicted of murder in the 1st degree, and put on a fast train to execution in the absence of hard evidence. The police failed to conduct the routine paraffin test on Mumia’s hands to determine if he had fired the gun; a critical fragment of the bullet retrieved from Officer Faulkner’s body was somehow lost and therefore could not be decisively matched to Mumia’s gun.

http://thefeministwire.com/2014/01/10-facts-about-the-mumia-abu-jamal-case/

[EX500rider]

29. "Daniel Faulkner, was shot and killed by somebody"

Somebody with Mumia's gun you mean, who also got shot in return.....or did the cop decide not to shoot the shooter, but some random person? lol So Mumia ran up to a stranger, handed him his gun out of his shoulder holster so he could shoot a cop? lol


A .38 caliber Charter Arms revolver, belonging to Abu-Jamal, with five spent cartridges was retrieved beside him at the scene. He was wearing a shoulder holster, and Anthony Paul, the Supervisor of the Philadelphia Police Department's firearms identification unit, testified at trial that the cartridge cases and rifling characteristics of the weapon were consistent with bullet fragments taken from Faulkner's body.

If the defense had any thought he was not guilty, they would have gone with more then just "character witnesses".

[Nuclear Unicorn]

70. Ideologues even more so.

[Taitertots]

53. The problem is the children are learning that...

Empathy should be extended to everyone. When our status quo depends on keeping people filled with hatred, schadenfreude, and divided.

[prayin4rain]

88. LOL.... I'm assuming you don't have children. n/t

[yeoman6987]

99. Glad she won't be teaching future children anymore.

She used poor judgement. Parents were right to complain. School was correct to fire her.

[tritsofme]

7. How disgusting. If I were a parent there I would be outraged. Mumia is a cop killer and a scumbag.

[NaturalHigh]

14. "Mumia is a cop killer and a scumbag."

Yep, guilty of both.

[Journeyman]

8. If the intent was to teach compassion, why not pick someone closer, who could reciprocate?. . .

"Children, Principal Skinner's mother is feeling quite ill. She has a twisted ankle and is laid up in bed. Let's all write her letters and wish her well."

And then, when the recipient has recovered, they'd be free to come into the classroom and reciprocate.

"Thank you, children, for your wonderful cards and letters. This is what it meant to me. . ."

Instead, she picks a highly polarizing individual, one who cannot interact with the children, and engages her charges in a conversation with someone they neither know nor understand.

And now she's out of work and hiding behind faux outrage at the impact this will have on the children.

What a dummkopf, a real scheisskopf.

[vankuria]

71. Totally agree!

Whether the inmate they were writing to was Mumia or someone else, the teacher used extremely poor judgment and should have gotten permission from parents. I wouldn't want my child writing to someone in prison without my knowledge, especially children this young.

[cwydro]

12. Stupid of her

to bring third graders into this mess.

[KamaAina]

22. I had no idea Mumia had a pit bull!

Judging by the budding flamewar here.

[Kalidurga]

26. I heard

he breast fed it at the Olive Garden and also refused to get it vaccinated for the measles.

[Throd]

33. Apparently he murdered a guy.

[alcibiades_mystery]

41. They've moved on from the Boston University assistant professor to the next target

[Renew Deal]

34. It's shocking that someone this dumb can get a job as a teacher.

[FLPanhandle]

39. One less bad teacher out there

Good riddance. How could someone be so simultaneously stupid and insensitive.

[Nye Bevan]

40. Ummm.... having 8-year olds write letters to convicted cop-killers?

What the hell was this teacher thinking?

[DanTex]

47. She wasn't "having" them write the letters.

The students learned about Abu Jamal in the class. When they found out he was ill, and some of them asked to write him get-well letters. All she did was say "OK" and have the letters delivered.

[Nye Bevan]

50. Why did the teacher choose to tell the kids about a convicted cop killer being ill?

Given that every single current event cannot be discussed in class for reasons of time, I find it surprising that the teacher chose the fact that somebody in prison for killing a cop got sick as worthy of a class discussion.

[DanTex]

58. Mumia was apparently a topic of a "social justice curriculum" that she was teaching.

A controversial one, of course, but I don't necessarily see a problem with that, and neither did the school -- she didn't get fired for bringing up his case, he got fired for letting the students write the letters.

[Nye Bevan]

72. Hmmmm..... she could have chosen Michael Brown, Eric Garner, or any number of current stories,

and she chose instead to focus on a guy who murdered a cop several years ago. Good move to fire her.

[DanTex]

73. How do you know she didn't? But nobody objected to including Abu-Jamal in the curriculum.

Also, he is not just a convicted felon, he is internationally known and is an activist.

And, as you know, whether he actually murdered a cop is highly controversial. He's drawn support even from people like Nelson Mandela. But, yeah, what would he know about racism and unjust imprisonment.

[Orrex]

83. Here's a nice summary

And, as you know, whether he actually murdered a cop is highly controversial.

It's actually rather less controversial than you seem to want it to be.

Here's a gem worth discussing:

However, according to the ballistics expert hired by Mumia's own attorney, the bullet fragments pulled from Faulkner's body were a ballistics match to a gun registered to Abu-Jamal. A gun which, it should be pointed out, was found next to Abu-Jamal at the crime scene along with five empty casings. There's also the matter of the four witnesses who were at the scene of the crime who all implicated Abu-Jamal as firing the fatal shot. There's also the fact that, in almost 30 years, his story has changed numerous times, including the recent claim that it was, get this, a mysterious mafia hit man who killed Faulkner because he was a dirty cop. Faulkner's widow, who was spat on and screamed at during the trial, must especially love that theory.

From Cracked.com

Yes, yes. In a fit of kneejerk ad hominem, some will dismiss the article because, but it's actually well documented with thorough citation.

Did the exemplary teacher talk about the fairly conclusive ballistics report? Or the treatment of Faulkner's widow? Exactly what in the content of her objective lesson on this convicted murderer inspired these children to write him get-well letters?

[DanTex]

84. Good, we've heard from cracked.com. Let's see what Amnesty International has to say.

In light of the contradictory and incomplete evidence in this case, Amnesty International can take no position on the guilt or innocence of Mumia Abu-Jamal. Nor has the organization identified him as a political prisoner, although it has previously expressed its concern over the activities of a government counterintelligence program, which appeared to number Abu-Jamal among its targets (see page 24). However, the organization is concerned that political statements attributed to him as a teenager were improperly used by the prosecution in its efforts to obtain a death sentence against him. In any event, the administration of the death penalty in the USA remains a highly politicized affair, sanctioned and supported by elected officials for its perceived political advantages. The politicization of Mumia Abu-Jamal's case may not only have prejudiced his right to a fair trial, but may now be undermining his right to fair and impartial treatment in the appeal courts.

After many years of monitoring Mumia Abu-Jamal's case and a thorough study of original documents, including the entire trial transcript, the organization has concluded that the proceedings used to convict and sentence Mumia Abu-Jamal to death were in violation of minimum international standards that govern fair trial procedures and the use of the death penalty. Amnesty International therefore believes that the interests of justice would best be served by the granting of a new trial to Mumia Abu-Jamal (see conclusion).

http://web.archive.org/web/20081212075045/http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR51/001/2000/en/dom-AMR510012000en.html

Granted, there's no picture of a shirtless Alec Baldwin, but despite that, I think Amnesty's opinion should hold as much weight as cracked.com. Which proves my point: this is controversial.

As to what the teacher talked about, neither of us know. But there haven't been any objections to her actual teaching, by all accounts she was doing a good job. The only objection is allowing the letters to be written.

[Orrex]

96. It's not Cracked.com's opinion; you're playing the ad hominem card

What do you say about the report commissioned by Mumia's attorney? The one that matches the ballistics on the bullet to Mumia's gun, found beside him with five spent casings? What does Amnesty International say about it?

As to what the teacher talked about, neither of us know. But there haven't been any objections to her actual teaching, by all accounts she was doing a good job. The only objection is allowing the letters to be written.

And that's sufficient, frankly. At the very least she should have sought the approval of the parents and the school before allowing the students to write the letters and certainly before allowing them to be sent.

I don't object to her talking about Mumia, though I'm deeply curious about the tone & content of her lesson. Despite your assurances, I don't believe that the lesson was objective. I'm also not convinced that her students have the knowlege, experience or context to understand the issues at hand, such that they're highly susceptible to manipulation by a biased adult.


And all by itself, the act of sending the children's letters to a convicted murder--without advance permission from the school and parents--is more than sufficient reason to fire her.

[DanTex]

97. Of course it's cracked.com's opinion. That's who published it.

Along with the shirtless picture of Alec Baldwin. It was a good article -- it accomplished it's objective of humorously mocking celebrities, which is what the website is about. My personal opinion is that Amnesty International is probably a more trustworthy organization for evaluating human rights issues like the fairness of trials, but that's just me. Like I said, this is controversial.

I agree that she should have gotten the approval of parents. She has acknowledged as much. It was a mistake, but certainly not firing-worthy. The kids wanted to send a get-well card to someone who they learned about in class, which is a noble gesture. And, sure, you can speculate about the content of her lessons, and there probably was too much Amnesty International and not enough cracked.com for your tastes. But the fact is, she has received a lot of praise for her abilities as a teacher, and the content of what she taught hasn't been questioned by anyone.. It looks like members of the community, as well as educators and human rights leaders around the country are standing up for her. Hopefully she will be reinstated.

[Orrex]

100. You're simply wrong.

The article and its wording do indeed represent the opinion of Cracked.com, but you imply that this invalidates the argument, and that's simply an ad hominem dismissal. Further, the opinion is well documented with copious citations, which you also dismiss without comment. That's argument by assertion, another fallacy.

I agree that she should have gotten the approval of parents. She has acknowledged as much. It was a mistake, but certainly not firing-worthy.

It as absolutely and unquestionably "firing-worthy," and I invite you to offer an explanation that would justify her actions. "Teaching compassion" is a bullshit post hoc excuse, and in any case there are thousands of effective and age-appropriate ways to teach compassion that don't involve sending letters from children to a convicted murderer without the parents' permission.

And, sure, you can speculate about the content of her lessons, and there probably was too much Amnesty International and not enough cracked.com for your tastes.

That's another bullshit ad hominem.

But the fact is, she has received a lot of praise for her abilities as a teacher

Citation, please. The article states that she was a first-year teacher at the school and doesn't mention praise for her abilities, except perhaps from her lawyer. It's not very convincing if the praise occurred after she was fired.

and the content of what she taught hasn't been questioned by anyone.

That's not true. She was fired for sending her students' get-well letters to a convicted murderer without the parents' permission; therefore the content of what she taught has indeed been questioned.

It looks like members of the community, as well as educators and human rights leaders around the country are standing up for her. Hopefully she will be reinstated.

Hopefully she won't do another end-run around parents and school administrators in order to send letters from her young students to a convicted murderer.

[DanTex]

103. You just admitted that I'm right.

The article and its wording do indeed represent the opinion of Cracked.com,

This is exactly what I said.

but you imply that this invalidates the argument, and that's simply an ad hominem dismissal

No I don't. All I said was that the argument from Amnesty International should be given the same amount of weight as the Cracked article. That's why, as I'll repeat again, this is a controversial topic. On non-controversial topics, human rights groups like Amnesty and Cracked.com generally line up on the same side.

It as absolutely and unquestionably "firing-worthy," and I invite you to offer an explanation that would justify her actions. "Teaching compassion" is a bullshit post hoc excuse, and in any case there are thousands of effective and age-appropriate ways to teach compassion that don't involve sending letters from children to a convicted murderer without the parents' permission.

I guess this is a matter of opinion. And you might think it was a "bullshit" excuse, but it certainly wasn't post-hoc. I'm pretty sure that at the time she did it, what she was thinking was, these kids want to express compassion to a civil rights leader they learned about, this is a good thing.

Citation, please. The article states that she was a first-year teacher at the school and doesn't mention praise for her abilities, except perhaps from her lawyer. It's not very convincing if the praise occurred after she was fired.

For example:

Forest's principal hired Zuniga for the 2013-14 school year. The former Montclair State University B.A. in education magna cum laude graduate went on to earn commendations from (principal) Cooke as "a model teacher."

http://localtalknews.com/the-oranges/education/2106-orange-teacher-suspended-over-students-qget-wellq-notes-to-convicted-felon.html

and the content of what she taught hasn't been questioned by anyone.

That's not true. She was fired for sending her students' get-well letters to a convicted murderer without the parents' permission; therefore the content of what she taught has indeed been questioned.

Your turn for a citation. Where was any of the content of what she taught questioned by anyone? Not notifying parents was an error, but had nothing to do with the content of her lessons. She could have taught exactly the same lessons, but not sent the letters, and she would still be being hailed as a "model teacher".

[Orrex]

107. You're now nitpicking trivial minutiae

If you prefer to debate whether or not you were right about the Cracked.com article being opinion and whether its status of opinion has any meaningful impact upon the larger discussion of the teacher who was rightly fired for doing an end-run around parents and school administrators so that her students can send get-well letters to a convicted murderer, then you are free to pursue that discussion.

The preceding was a deliberate and slightly hyperbolic strawman intended to demonstrate how little I ultimately care whether or not you consider the well-documented article on Cracked.com to be "serious," because you haven't refuted (or even contested) its accuracy.

Forest's principal hired Zuniga for the 2013-14 school year. The former Montclair State University B.A. in education magna cum laude graduate went on to earn commendations from (principal) Cooke as "a model teacher."

http://localtalknews.com/the-oranges/education/2106-orange-teacher-suspended-over-students-qget-wellq-notes-to-convicted-felon.html

Ah, yes. Sorry I didn't have a month-old article handy, the one whose headline refers to a "felon" rather than to the more specific "murderer." I wonder what's behind that editorial choice.

And I stand corrected: one note of praise. Kudos to Ms. Zuniga. I would be interested to hear Cooke's current opinion.

Your turn for a citation. Where was any of the content of what she taught questioned by anyone? Not notifying parents was an error, but had nothing to do with the content of her lessons.

It hardly requires a citation beyond the original article, because it's exactly what she did: an end-run around parents and school administrators so that her students can send get-well letters to a convicted murderer. The "lesson" isn't simply what's submitted for approval beforehand as part of the yearlong curriculum; it's the lesson that she teaches, that it's a swell idea to put children in contact with a convicted murderer without the parents' knowledge or consent.

Further, one wonders which other convicted murderers she might have named as worthy recipients of compassion. Why not Faulkner's widow? Did Zuniga discuss the concept of compassion for the victim's family? If not, then she taught a very poor lesson indeed.

She could have taught exactly the same lessons, but not sent the letters, and she would still be being hailed as a "model teacher".

That is your speculation based on nothing.

[DanTex]

109. Well, now we're getting somewhere.

First of all, I'm glad to see you've dropped the "comparing him to Mandela is offensive" line, evidently you weren't aware that Mandela himself supported Mumia. I'm glad I could assist in educating you here, although, hilariously, this fact was even mentioned in the Cracked.com article upon which you put so much faith. Lesson learned: it's a good idea to actually read the articles that you decide to cite.

Next, we've established that she actually was considered a "model teacher" before this incident. Yes, you are forgiven for not doing your research. This is a minor story, it's not a big deal that you didn't know the details before forming such severe opinions.

We've also established that you can't actually produce any citation backing your false claim that there was any problem with the content of what she taught. Your opinion is that she did some kind of "end-run" to impose her opinion on students, but there is zero evidence behind this, and nobody involved with the incident has claimed anything of the sort except for you. Talk about "speculation based on nothing."

Like I said, she made one mistake, which is not notifying the parents before sending the get-well letters that her students volunteered to write to a controversial figure who they had learned about a few months earlier. She has acknowledged as much.

And you're right, knowing her character, she very well might have taught about Nelson Mandela even while he was a convicted terrorist serving a long prison term.

[morningfog]

76. I'm glad you aren't a teacher.

If they were learning about him, his current status and condition is worth discussion.

[Orrex]

51. If the teacher had been assaulted at an ATM and her attacker were now ill in prison...

What would she have said if they children had asked to write get-well letters? Would she have been as supportive, or would she have found some way to channel their interest elsewhere?

It seems clear and undeniable that she was instructing the children with her own bias about Mumia's case.

[DanTex]

54. By all accounts, she was an exemplary teacher, and there aren't any allegations that she

was instructing the children with her own bias. Again, the children decided themselves to write the letters, it wasn't a classroom assignment. The Mumia case is a controversial one, and has gotten international attention, with even people like Nelson Mandela expressing support. It's not some random murder who assaulted a teacher at an ATM.

[Orrex]

63. I simply don't believe that.

I have a son that age, and if his class were told the objective facts--that Mumia was convicted of killing a cop and is now serving a life sentence for it--they absolutely wouldn't "decide themselves" to write him a get well letter.

The claim that she gave objective information about Mumia's case and then played no role in the children's decision to write him get-well letters is so far outside of credibility that I simply see no basis on which to believe it, "exemplary" teacher or not.


And the question remains: if those same children had wanted to write letters to the exemplary teacher's (hypothetical) attacker, would she have supported them in their effort?

[DanTex]

69. Obviously, you're wrong. A lot of adults, very intelligent ones, have been told the objective facts

of the case and come to the opposite conclusion of what your son would hypothetically have come to. Like I said, one of these people was Nelson Mandela.

Yeah, not everyone agrees, that's what makes it controversial. Which is why it is nothing like writing get-well letters to a random murderer.

[Orrex]

80. Obviously, her class is not made up of adults, nor is Nelson Mandela among her students.

it is nothing like writing get-well letters to a random murderer.

You're correct; it's like writing get-well letters to a specifically-chosen convicted murderer.

Do the students ask to write get-well letters to Faulkner's widow when she has the flu? Do you suppose that this examplary teacher told that side of the story? Why focus solely on the convicted murderer?

Which other convicted murderers have had their stories told by this examplary teacher?

[DanTex]

85. Missing the point...

You were arguing that it was so obvious that Abu-Jamal is guilty that even third-graders would be able to see it if all the facts were presented. And, obviously, you are wrong about that. If even intelligent and informed adults disagree about this, surely third-graders might come to different conclusions as well.

The question of why him, I already answered. He's might be the single most controversial current prisoner in the US, and he's a widely know activist. He certainly was before Guantanamo. The likes of Nelson Mandela, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch have brought to attention issues with the fairness of his trial. So before asking this teacher, maybe you should take it up with them as to why they talk about him and not any random convict. Your quarrel is with them, not with her.

[Orrex]

98. Do you personally believe that Mumia killed him or not?

His own story has changed repeatedly--and drastically--so it's hard to say what Mumia himself believes.

Also, comparing Mumia's conviction with Mandela's imprisonment is rather offensive, and calling Mumia a "political prisoner" is a propaganda tactic. Mandela was jailed under the bullshit "Suppression of Communism Act," while Mumia was convicted of murder. You and Amnesty International are fond of critiquing the procedural particulars of the trial, but the case has been heavily reviewed and his conviction has stood.

As pointed out in the article at which you proudly look down your nose, there are other far more controversial convictions of black males, but they aren't as famous and therefore attract far less celebrity support.

[div class="excerpt']So before asking this teacher, maybe you should take it up with them as to why they talk about him and not any random convict. Your quarrel is with them, not with her. Did Amnesty International instruct these children on their view of particulars of the case and then send the children's letters to the convicted murderer? No? Then you're making a preposterous assertion.

[DanTex]

101. I have no idea. Do you think Amnesty International is wrong about his trial being unfair?

And I didn't compare Mumia's conviction with Mandela's imprisonment or call him a political prisoner. But I did note that Nelson Mandela was in fact a supporter of Mumia, which means that he probably doesn't find the comparison quite as offensive as you did. It's true, people like Mandela and Amnesty (and me) are sticklers for things like fair trials. And, yes, his case has been reviewed many times, and his conviction has stood, but I for one find it very plausible that a black man, particularly a black man with a history of radical politics, can very easily receive unjust treatment by the courts, even through several rounds of appeals.

Also, Mandela wasn't just found guilty of being a communist sympathizer. He was also found guilty of being a terrorist plotting to violently overthrow the government. Here are the charges, he was found guilty of all four.

recruiting persons for training in the preparation and use of explosives and in guerrilla warfare for the purpose of violent revolution and committing acts of sabotage
conspiring to commit the aforementioned acts and to aid foreign military units when they invaded the Republic,
acting in these ways to further the objects of communism
soliciting and receiving money for these purposes from sympathizers in Algeria, Ethiopia, Liberia, Nigeria, Tunisia, and elsewhere.

Before apartheid became indefensible, a lot of people on the right outright called him a terrorist, and some continue to do so even to this day, for example:
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/366317/remembering-mandela-without-rose-colored-glasses-andrew-c-mccarthy

And And you're right, I did proudly look down my nose at the cracked article. It was meant to be humorous. And it was humorous. I'm sure that there are plenty detailed and serious articles out there about why Mumia is guilty, but that wasn't one of them.

[Orrex]

105. I don't believe that his trials have been sufficiently unfair to mitigate his guilt or conviction

Before apartheid became indefensible, a lot of people on the right outright called him a terrorist, and some continue to do so even to this day, for example:

That's just further evidence that the comparison between Mandela and Mumia is fundamentally flawed.

And And you're right, I did proudly look down my nose at the cracked article. It was meant to be humorous. And it was humorous. I'm sure that there are plenty detailed and serious articles out there about why Mumia is guilty, but that wasn't one of them.

So what? It was a handy and not inaccurate summary of the situation, and if you don't like the tone then you're welcome to find a serious article that meets your satisfaction.

[DanTex]

110. Now there's justice! No, he didn't get a fair trial, but who cares!

He was guilty anyway! I read about it on the internet!

[bananas]

120. Over at conservativecrackpots.com they hate Mumia and use cracked.com as an authoritative source. nt

[FLPanhandle]

55. Since when is learning about Abu Jamal in the curriculum for kids?

This is a complete WTF moment by a teacher.

[DanTex]

48. The children asked to write the letters. She didn't assign them.

Was she supposed to say "no, you can't write him a get well letter"?

[hack89]

49. Yes, she should have said that, being the adult in charge.

A good opportunity to explain that there are more worthy people to write to other than violent felons.

[DanTex]

52. That would be imposing her personal political beliefs on the children.

Not all people think he's a cop-killer. Some people think he's a victim of police and judicial racism. Including, it appears, some of the children in the class.

[hack89]

64. Then she should notified the parents

they are not her kids. It was not her decision to make.

[DanTex]

67. I agree, she should have notified the parents. But it's still not worthy of firing her.

She also should probably have taken the names off of the letters.

[brooklynite]

68. and you don't think she "imposed her political beliefs" by bringing up Mumia in the first place?

[cali]

78. She already did that. Look, if she'd decided to discuss this with

kids in jr high or high school, that would have been reasonable, but 8 year old kids are too young for the assignment she gave. And she obviously brought her strong personal beliefs about him into the discussion.

Whether he's innocent or not, this just was a bad call as well as being a bizarre one.

[DanTex]

81. It wasn't her decision to have a social justice curriculum be part of the 3rd grade class.

I think you are right, she probably sympathizes with Abu-Jamal, at least about the fairness of his trial (along Nelson Mandela, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch). But nobody has objected to the fairness or quality of her teaching, or even to the fact that Abu-Jamal was part of the curriculum. On the contrary, she seems to have gotten strong reviews. The only controversy is that some kids asked to write letters to him, and she let them.

[cali]

89. presumably she decided to introduce Mumia as a figure fighting for social justice

and I really wouldn't have a problem with that if the kids had been a few years older. Having said that, I don't think she should have been fired and I think she should be reinstated. She's young, this is her first year teaching, she should have picked someone like Mandela to focus on- not just because of controversy, but because choosing someone like Mandela eliminates confusion and complexities that most 8 year old kids aren't able to grapple with.

[DanTex]

92. Probably. Apparently she decided to have them comment on a quote of his:

In February, my students participated in a civil rights series highlighting multiple leaders. On February 5th I presented a do-now that stated: '"What is the main idea of this quote?: 'So long as one just person is silenced, there is no justice.' This quote is by Mumia Abu-Jamal. Many of my students took it upon themselves to go home and do research about civil rights leaders discussed in class. In April, I mentioned to my students that Mumia was very ill and they told me they would like to write 'get well' letters to Mumia.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/donna-nevel/putting-our-children-firs_b_7108800.html
Yeah, she should could have chosen just as good of a quote from someone else. And she should have gotten permission from the parents before sending the letters. But she shouldn't be fired for that.

[petronius]

116. I agree. If the transmission of the letters (and perhaps the tweeting

about it) is the only issue, then I think firing is excessive. It's a situation for discussion and the old "don't do that again" speech.

I don't know much about 3rd graders and their abilities, but that quote seems rather substantial: if she's getting serious thought and discussion from them around that prompt (not to mention inspiring them to go home and do more research), then she's likely doing something right...

[Oktober]

115. Those people are ill informed...

[Taitertots]

57. Why? Felons are just as deserving of empathy as you.

Maybe it is a good thing that some people don't endorse your scale of human worth.

[prayin4rain]

91. They aren't deserving of correspondence from small children

without their parent's consent. I would be upset that a teacher allowed my small child to correspond with ANY strange men without my knowledge. A convicted murderer? ?

[morningfog]

77. How do you know they haven't written others?

It is not as if you can only write one letter.

[MH1]

56. After she brought it to their attention that he was "gravely ill"

After previously assigning them to write about a quote of Abu-Jamal's.

In her tweet she uses the tag #freemumia.

I am respectful of people who see issues of fairness around the Mumia case. I am also opposed to the death penalty and especially in a case like this, so I'm glad the dp was reverted to life in prison. That said, I believe this is the WRONG cause for a 3rd grade teacher to drag her students into.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2015/04/nj_teacher_speaks_out_amid_supporters_after_suspen.html

In February, Zuniga said she presented her students with an assignment in which they were asked to consider the main idea of the following quote from Abu-Jamal: "So long as one just person is silenced, there is no justice."

About two months later, Zuniga said she told the students about Abu-Jamal's failing health and they asked about writing the "get well" letters.

"In April, I mentioned to my students that Mumia was very ill and they told me they would like to write 'get well' letters to Mumia," Zuniga said.

On April 5, Zuniga posted a tweet about her students' letters being delivered to Abu-Jamal:

Just dropped off these letters to comrade Johanna Fernandez. My 3rd graders wrote to Mumia to lift up his spirits as he is ill. #freemumia

— Marylin (@Marylin_Zuniga) April 5, 2015
The letters were presented to Abu-Jamal the following day by Johanna Fernández, a professor at Baruch College in New York City and an advocate for Abu-Jamal's innocence in the 1981 killing of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner.
But at Tuesday's meeting, Zuniga apologized for highlighting the letters on social media.

[DanTex]

65. Yes, she did. Is there a problem with mentioning that?

After all, they had already discussed Abu-Jamal in the class previously. And, by the way, nobody had a problem with that, and by all accounts she was an exemplary teacher.

Yeah, maybe this issue is too controversial for 3rd graders. Maybe that's too young of an age for people to learn, for example, that a sizeable percentage of black men on death row are actually innocent. But that's not the issue here. She was teaching about social justice, and the school approved of that. If they didn't want here talking about social justice to 3rd graders, they should have had her teaching 8th graders.

[FLPanhandle]

61. She should have said "You are free to write any letter on your own time"

Not appropriate for a classroom

[justamama83]

82. You seriously believe they asked???

I have 2 teenagers who, I doubt, even know who Mumia is. I remember the killing I was in high school- you might want to think on this.....30 some years of appeals and he's still in prison. This teacher tried to forward her own agenda and it bit her on the butt.

[DanTex]

90. Yes. And nobody has suggested otherwise.

The reason they knew who he was is because Mumia was part of the social justice curriculum. Again, nobody objected to that, and by all accounts she was a great teacher. You might argue that 3rd graders are too young to confront social justice topics, but that wasn't her decision either, that was the schools.

The only thing she allegedly did wrong is allow the children who asked to write get well cards to someone they had learned about.

[brooklynite]

60. She deserved to go...

A first-year teacher at Forest Street Elementary School, Zuniga has said her students asked her about writing the "get well" letters to Mumia Abu-Jamal after she told them he was gravely ill. She later posted a tweet about her students' letters being delivered to Abu-Jamal.

Did she tell them he was a convicted murder?

I seriously doubt the average third grader understands the issues in this case, and the fact that Teacher brought him up as a subject in class strikes me as very suspicious.

[morningfog]

79. You underestimate third graders.

Of course she told them he was a convicted murderer. How else would it have come up to write a letter to him in prison? His story would not have coherence if it was left out that he was serving life for killing a cop.

[Orrex]

108. Why did she not inform the parents or school administrators?

Was she afraid that they would underestimate the third-graders?

By what authority does her estimate trump that of the parents or administrators?

[morningfog]

111. Should a teacher get clearance from parents and admin

for everything that happens in the classroom?

My understanding is some kids wanted to write a letter and she facilitated it. I think this is what teachers SHOULD be doing. Facilitating and following kids interests.

They learned about Mumia. A teacher could have stopped there and the experience would have been purely theoretical. She followed up by telling them that this individual from this tragic event has done things since he was incarcerated for life (perhaps she even told about how he was on death row but no more). Even better. Then she rounds it out with the fat that today he is gravely ill. Kids get the story of life and society with dozens of jumping of points.

A kid or kids show compassion and want to write a letter. If I were that teacher, I would be incredibly proud of those students. They are wanting to connect with the story. They see the opportunity to connect with history. The teacher said yes. You can do that. You don't have to be afraid of writing letters.

Where is the harm? Where is the risk?

I applaud the students and the teacher. I hope she finds an environment that will support her and I hope other teachers are not afraid to follow.

[Orrex]

119. Of course, that wasn't my assertion.

Should a teacher get clearance from parents and admin for everything that happens in the classroom?

Nope. Why do you ask?

However, if a teacher is going to facilitate communication between third graders and a convicted murderer, then I'd say that parental approval isn't too much to require. Especially if, as claimed, Zuniga didn't suggest that the children write the letters. If that's true, then she went out of her way to involve herself in a process beyond the original lesson, so it was certainly appropriate to notify the parents.

How do you suppose the conversation went down, anyway? Do you imagine that the children, as a group, spontaneously decided to write get-well letters to the convicted murderer, with no expectation that they'd have any way to send them? Who did the children think would send them?

In 2015, do a lot of third graders spontaneously decide to write letters to convicted murderers, with no encouragement from an adult?


I find that amazing.

[840high]

87. Glad she's gone.

[aikoaiko]

66. Termination seems harsh, but not unreasonable.

[romanic]

114. The lengths people go to

to defend criminals JFC.