Heroes & Zeroes

Middletown Township Education Association President Diane Swaim is "astounded by how much stronger individual MTEA members have become" as a result of the December jailings.

It's strength drawn from solidarity. "I know I can trust my colleagues, who are now my very close friends," says seventh grade language arts teacher Lorraine Pron. "I can look at each one of of these people and know what they're about."

Right after demanding the imprisonment of striking MTEA members, Middletown school board negotiators wrote in a letter to the community: "Each of us is dismayed and saddened that some of our children's teachers are going to jail. It was never our intention that this should happen and we have done everything in our power to avoid it."

"I try to teach my students that this country is fair and just," Middletown teacher Barbara Guenther told a judge. "Sometimes, good people have to stand up to fight an unjust law, and that's just what I'm doing."