NewsWSVN 7 MiamiSeptember 11, 2026Miami-Dade County
Fifth-grade teacher and former flight attendant Martha Runzer develops 9/11 lesson plans based on personal connections to Flight 93 crew members
Photo: WSVN 7 Miami
Fifth-grade teacher Martha Runzer, a former United Airlines flight attendant who lost colleagues on September 11, 2001, developed age-appropriate lesson plans focusing on Flight 93 crew members following her attendance at a summer symposium. Runzer shares her personal story with her students and plans to present the new lesson plan to fellow educators.
Read the full story at WSVN 7 MiamiWhy It Matters
A local educator shares personal connections to September 11 victims with K-12 students through newly developed classroom lesson plans.
Key Facts
- Martha Runzer is a fifth-grade teacher at Glen Acres Elementary School in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and a former United Airlines flight attendant.
- Runzer was on maternity leave on September 11, 2001, and lost colleagues on the hijacked flights, including Flight 93 senior flight attendant Lorraine Bay and purser Deborah Jacobs Welsh.
- Runzer attended a symposium for 40 Pennsylvania educators at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville in June.
- Following the symposium, Runzer and elementary-level colleagues created a lesson plan highlighting four Flight 93 heroes to share with other teachers.
- The lesson plan focuses on age-appropriate themes like kindness, responsibility, and courage for students.
- Runzer plans to share her personal story with her students on September 10 and attend the memorial in Shanksville on September 11.
Who's Mentioned
locationFlight 93 National Memorial“Memorial site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania”PersonMelissa Nelson“Assistant professor of practice at the University of Pittsburgh School of Educat”PersonSandra Bradshaw“Flight 93 flight attendant”locationWest Chester“Location in Pennsylvania”OrganizationGlen Acres Elementary School“School in West Chester, Pennsylvania where Runzer teaches”OrganizationCNN“News publisher”PersonDeborah Jacobs Welsh“Flight 93 purser”otherUnited Airlines Flight 93“Hijacked airliner on September 11, 2001”PersonMartha “Marty” Runzer“Fifth-grade teacher at Glen Acres Elementary School and former United Airlines f”locationShanksville“Location in Pennsylvania where Flight 93 crashed and site of the Flight 93 Natio”OrganizationUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Education“Institution associated with symposium organizer Melissa Nelson”PersonLorraine Bay“Flight 93 senior flight attendant”