Fired teacher honking for justice

OrlandoSentinel.com ^ | 09/13/07 | Tamara Lytle

[MotleyGirl70]

Now in Osceola, she is appealing her dismissal in Indiana to the U.S. Supreme Court. Kissimmee Middle School reading teacher Deborah Mayer said her world has been "devastated" by four words she uttered in an Indiana classroom four years ago: "I honk for peace."

[MotleyGirl70]

Deborah Mayer, 57, a former Indiania elementary-school teacher, says she lost her job after saying 'I honk for peace' in class. (MARIE D. DE JESUS, ORLANDO SENTINEL / August 30, 2007)

[VRWCmember]

From the picture, I doubt that her honkers are very impressive.

[BenLurkin]

Why is she pictured with a flag?

Odd.

[r9etb]

She doesn't look like a goose....

[TheThirdRuffian]

Because she burned it shortly thereafter.

[Right Wing Assault]

'I honk for peace'

I think she wants us to believe that, but I'm sure there were some other words that actually had a lot to do with her being fired.

I can't believe they told her she was being fired for saying, 'I honk for peace'.

[Doomonyou]

Depends on what the definition of “Honk” is...

[Tax-chick]

I’m sure it’s true that she lost her job “after” saying, “I honk for peace,” in class. What’s questionable is whether she lost her job “because” she said it.

As hard as it is to fire a teacher even if he’s committed a felony sex crime, I have trouble believing the spin here.

[donna]

She said she also told the students, "People ought to seek out peaceful solutions before going to war."

Hmm, I wonder what else she said.

[MotleyGirl70]

Why can’t liberal teachers keep their political views outside the classroom. Are they really that desperate that they feel the need to express their anti-war sentiments to 4th, 5th or 6th graders.

[A_Tradition_Continues]

the eve of the Iraq war -- during a weekly current-events discussion in her Grades 4-6 class at Clear Creek Elementary School in Bloomington, Ind. A pupil asked if she would participate in a peace rally.

"I honk for peace," Mayer, a veteran teacher in her first year at Bloomington, said she told them. She said she also told the students, "People ought to seek out peaceful solutions before going to war."

If she was essentially terminated for saying "I honk for peace" I think that the school board overreached just a wee bit. However, if her termination was due to her failing to meet "teaching goals and standards" then off she goes!

[Clioman]

Yup, she a honkey for sure.

[Clint N. Suhks]

Yet another example of moonbats trying to write law via the judiciary branch.

[evets]

[MotleyGirl70]

Ellington, who describes her family as conservative Republicans, said her daughter was upset that Mayer was "bashing" President Bush in class. But she said Mayer's teaching ability was more important that her political views. She thinks the combination of those views and her strict discipline cost Mayer her job.

"Freedom of speech is perfectly fine for a teacher," Ellington said. "I don't think she was trying to make card-carrying Democrats out of her fourth-, fifth- and sixth--graders."

This mother is naive.

[Tax-chick]

a veteran teacher in her first year at Bloomington

I wonder why she left her previous employment ...

[Michael.SF.]

here is an interesting snippet from further down in the article:

Mayer said her troubles started Jan. 10, 2003.
She said several parents subsequently complained about her comments, leading to the non-renewal of her contract at the end of the year.
"I said four little words, and it destroyed my life," said Mayer

She wasn't fired! They chose not to renew her contract 6 months later!

Huge difference!

[A_Tradition_Continues]

Yet another example of moonbats trying to write law via the judiciary branch.

Would it be possible for you to justify your statement?

[Millee]

“Honk” must be moonbat for “overthrow the government.”

[MotleyGirl70]

But Thomas Wheeler, attorney for the Monroe County Community School Corp., said her real problem is she was a bad teacher. Besides, he said, teachers don't have First Amendment rights in the classroom because they teach a curriculum decided by state and local officials. So far, lower courts have agreed -- and the Supreme Court has not decided whether to hear her appeal.

But Wheeler said the peace comments "had absolutely nothing to do with her termination. What happened was, she was a bad teacher."

He said parents began complaining in October 2002, and some requested that their children be transferred to another class.

The article is vague in describing what her "bad" teachings were so it's hard to say.