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Thursday, September 15, 2011

Big Education Ape: 9-15-11 PM U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Recognizes 305 Schools as 2011 National Blue Ribbon Schools EDition

Big Education Ape: Ed News Now:

Published by Coopmike48 – 7 news spotters today

Pearson buys virtual schools company

schoolingintheownershipsociety.blogspot.com - Textbook publisher Pearson announced today that it has acquired Connections Education, which operates virtual schools or academies in 21 states and serves roughly 40,000 students. The company is ex...

mikeklonsky

Obama admin ignored warnings about Solyndra

news.yahoo.com - WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration ignored repeated warnings about a clean-energy loan program that has become an embarrassment for the White House amid the collapse of a California solar e...

mikeklonsky

Reform In The Age of Obama

schooltechconnect.com - Who here among us does not love the legendary Susan Ohanian? Sorry, I always channel John Kerry when blog from the majestic height of my front stoop. Anyway, if you're not a subscriber to her frequ...

tbfurman

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coopmike48 New York’s Race to the Top setbacks more extreme than most | GothamSchools - http://t.co/cyGVuSfW3 minutes ago · reply · retweet · favorite

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coopmike48 New details on the health/sex test - D.C. Schools Insider - The Washington Post - http://t.co/ESF2WIBk2 minutes ago · reply · retweet · favorite

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coopmike48 U.S. Latinos Split Over Obama Jobs Bill - Hispanically Speaking News -http://t.co/pdE3iEcC9 minutes ago · reply · retweet · favorite

EducationSee all

America’s Vanishing Middle Class - Forbes

forbes.com - Any comparison between wages earned in prior decades and wages earned now needs to take into account the fact that a lot of non-white-males have entered the workforce. Still, these are troubling nu...

mikeklonsky

Promoting K-12 Education to Advance Student Achievement

brookings.edu - Event Summary Great teachers and great schools have the ability to transform the living standard of Americans. Over the past century, investments in education have boosted the productivity and ear...

leoniehaimson

Charter School Opponents Want DOE To Charge Rent

ny1.com - To view our videos, you need toenable JavaScript. Learn how.install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now. Then come back here and refresh the page. The battle over Charter Schools and whether or n...

leoniehaimson

SocietySee all

Blog posts on this issue

whitehouse.gov - The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release September 15, 2011 NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, 2011BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICAA PROCLAMATIONFrom those...

coopmike48

PoliticsSee all

U.S. Latinos Split Over Obama Jobs Bill

hispanicallyspeakingnews.com - Published at 5:16 pm, September 15, 2011 Photo Credits: U.S. Latinos Split Over Obama Jobs Bill President Obama’s $447 billion jobs bill has the support of a number of the country’s Latinos, as he ...

coopmike48

Blog posts on this issue

whitehouse.gov - The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release September 15, 2011 Any plan to grow the economy and create jobs should be measured by whether it puts money in the pockets of mid...

coopmike48

StoriesSee all

Top Ten Back-to-School Songs | The Nation

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - Top Ten Back-to-School Songs | The Nation:Top Ten Back-to-School SongsPeter Rothberg on Friday, September 9, 2011 - 21:15Songs about school have probably been sung by students for as long as there ...

coopmike48

Blog posts on this issue

whitehouse.gov - The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release September 15, 2011 Olive Garden Hyattsville, Maryland11:47 A.M. EDTMRS. OBAMA: Hi, everyone! How you guys doing? How many people ...

coopmike48

Talking to kids about marijuana, healthy school birthdays

ednewsparent.org - Healthy school parties: Try popsicles Today happens to be my daughter’s 9th birthday so I wanted to bring in a treat. I will admit to being drawn to small cupcakes or brownies. I figure the fact ...

coopmike48

CrimeSee all

Should Davis be executed? No

ajc.com - By William S. SessionsNo: Questions about his guilt continue to plague his conviction.As Troy Davis faces his fourth execution date on Sept. 21, many may assume that lingering doubts about the case...

fklonsky

Former Aide To Gov. (Walker) Speaks About FBI Search

democraticunderground.com - Source: Channel 3000 WISCTVMADISON, Wis. -- In an interview with WISC-TV, a former top aide to Gov. Scott Walker said she did not do anything wrong, and is not sure why federal agents searched her ...

coopmike48

EnvironmentSee all

Why Hunger Is Still With Us

thenation.com - Editor's Note: This piece is one in a series of replies to Frances Moore LappĆ©’s essay on the food movement today. Amid the joy of local, seasonal ingredients and tides of young people with dirt ...

coopmike48

Blog posts on this issue

whitehouse.gov - The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release September 15, 2011 TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:On July 19, 2011, Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke certified under sectio...

coopmike48

#eduRead this paperSee all

Top Ten Back-to-School Songs | The Nation

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - Top Ten Back-to-School Songs | The Nation:Top Ten Back-to-School SongsPeter Rothberg on Friday, September 9, 2011 - 21:15Songs about school have probably been sung by students for as long as there ...

coopmike48

#edreformRead this paperSee all

Stop Children What's That Sound? Only #edreform

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - There's something happening hereWhat it is ain't exactly clearThere's a man with a gun over thereTelling me i got to bewareI think it's time we stop, children, what's that soundEverybody look what'...

coopmike48

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    Susan Ochshorn: Charter Ed for the Early Childhood Workforce: A Recipe for Disaster

    Susan Ochshorn: Charter Ed for the Early Childhood Workforce: A Recipe for Disaster:

    Charter Ed for the Early Childhood Workforce: A Recipe for Disaster


    Last month, amid a flurry of natural disasters, the Brookings Institution and Rockefeller Foundation dumped a dangerous proposal on the overworked, underpaid, unrespected early childhood workforce. In "Beyond Bachelor's: The Case for Charter Colleges of Early Childhood Education," Sara Mead and Kevin Carey bring the K-12 charter school movement right on down to the earliest years of education. At the heart of their concept is a simple bargain: increased flexibility in exchange for increased accountability to deliver results.

    A Faustian bargain, to be sure.

    The early childhood workforce, as I've often noted, inthis space and elsewhere, is a highly challenged species. Qualifications are all over the map across states and settings (that means Head Start, child care, and state pre-K). In some parts of the country, women with high school diplomas are guiding the critical learning and development that occurs in the first five years of life. Levels of education for the workforce have been on the decline, even as the field, after years of debate, has embraced the bachelor's degree, with specialized training in early

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    BREAKING: UCIPD Simulating an Anti-Occupation Operation at UC Irvine « occupy california

    BREAKING: UCIPD Simulating an Anti-Occupation Operation at UC Irvine « occupy california:

    BREAKING: UCIPD Simulating an Anti-Occupation Operation at UC Irvine

    by mtd

    IRVINE, California – We have just received word from our comrades at UC Irvine that as of 3:00pm today, UCIPD and Irvine PD are running an anti-occupation operation at the Gateway Commons Study Center at UC Irvine. Campus staff are pretending to be student protesters and are simulating the occupation of the Gateway Commons building, while police are in full SWAT gear and Irvine PD are dressed in olive green and brown military

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    Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: In Ohio, it's Obama school construction vs. 'Boehnernomics'

    Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: In Ohio, it's Obama school construction vs. 'Boehnernomics':

    In Ohio, it's Obama school construction vs. 'Boehnernomics'


    Obama spoke at the Fort Hayes Art and Academic High School, which has recently received federal funding for renovations.
    “There are construction projects like this all over the country just waiting to get started,” Mr. Obama said. “So my question to Congress is, ‘What on earth are you waiting for?’ ”
    The crowd of more than 3,000 people at the school acted like they were at a campaign event, too. They chanted: “Pass this bill! Pass this bill! Pass this bill!” -- NYT
    White House officials said the $25 billion, if approved by lawmakers, would help
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    Schooling in the Ownership Society: Pearson buys virtual schools company

    Schooling in the Ownership Society: Pearson buys virtual schools company:

    Pearson buys virtual schools company

    by Mike Klonsky
    Textbook publisher Pearson announced today that it has acquiredConnections Education, which operates virtual schools or academies in 21 states and serves roughly 40,000 students. The company is expected to turn a $190 million profit in 2011.

    This acquisition is the latest in a long string of mergers and acquisitionswithin the ed-tech business community, and it marks the first time that one
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    Did Florida Republicans Deliberately Mislead Voters on Race to the Top? | Scathing Purple Musings

    Did Florida Republicans Deliberately Mislead Voters on Race to the Top? | Scathing Purple Musings:

    Did Florida Republicans Deliberately Mislead Voters on Race to the Top?

    by Bob Sikes

    The Florida Education Association was skeptical of the Obama-Duncan Race to the Top (RttT) initiative, but eventually became part of the team which then governor Charlie Crist put together to apply for the grant. As it turns out RttT has turned out to be as what republican presidential candidate Rick Perry calls an “unacceptable intrusion on states’ control over education.”

    Florida’s republican leaders liked it. Jeb Bush supported the measure. In a statement released through his foundation he said, “my hope is that states are bold and provocative in their proposals for Race to the Top Funds. This unprecedented federal investment in education reform should be used to introduce transparent and relevant world-class standards, dramatically improve teacher quality and employ technology to radically transform the

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    Top Ten Back-to-School Songs | The Nation

    Top Ten Back-to-School Songs | The Nation:

    Top Ten Back-to-School Songs

    Peter Rothberg on Friday, September 9, 2011 - 21:15

    Songs about school have probably been sung by students for as long as there has been formal schooling. Wikipedia reports that examples of such literature can be found dating back to medieval England. Here, we've tried the highly dubious task of trying to highlight ten of the best such songs ever written. Please use the comments field below to let us know what we've missed.

    Pink Floyd, Another Brick in the Wall

    Dolly Parton, Coat of Many Colors

    The Clash, Mark Me Absent

    The Ramones, Rock and Roll High School

    Belle & Sebastian, We Rule the School

    The Replacements, F*** School

    The Smiths, The Headmaster Ritual

    Chuck Berry, School Days

    Pete Seeger, What Did You Learn in School Today?

    Vampire Weekend, Campus

    Related Topics: Music
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    ACCS Meeting Notice- Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (CA Dept of Education)

    ACCS Meeting Notice--Advisory Commission on Chart - Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (CA Dept of Education):

    Letter Head: Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, California Department of Education

    Meeting Notice
    Advisory Commission on Charter Schools

    An advisory body to the State Board of Education

    Thursday, September 28, 2011
    10:00 a. m. ± – 4:00 p. m. ±


    East End Complex Auditorium
    1500 Capitol Avenue
    Sacramento, CA 95814
    916-322-6029
    Commission Members

    Dr. Vicki Barber
    Brian Bauer
    Gary Davis
    Beth Hunkapiller*
    Kelly Kovacic
    John Porter
    Dr. Mark Ryan
    Christopher Thomsen
    Curtis L. Washington

    Liaisons from the State Board of Education

    Yvonne Chan
    Trish Williams

    * Represents the State Superintendent of Public Instruction

    AGENDA

    Call to Order

    Salute to the Flag

    Welcome and Introductions

    Review and Adoption of Meeting Notes

    Review/Reordering of the Meeting Agenda

    The primary areas of focus of the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS) at this meeting are anticipated to be as listed. The actual allocation of time and order of consideration will be decided at the meeting.

    ITEM 1

    Type of Action: Discussion

    Subject: Public Comment*. Depending on the number of individuals wishing to address the State Board, the presiding officer may establish specific time limits on presentations.

    ITEM 2

    Type of Action: Discussion

    Subject: Senate Bill (SB) 740 Training and Background Information

    Staff: Jill Rice and Jay Harris

    ITEM 3 (DOC; 553KB; 56pp.)

    Type of Action: Action/Discussion

    Subject: Petition for the Establishment of a Charter School Under the Oversight of the State Board of Education: Consideration of the Synergy Charter School Charter Petition, Which Was Denied by the Pittsburg Unified School District and Contra Costa County Office of Education.

    Staff: Bonnie Galloway

    ITEM 4

    Type of Action: Action/Discussion

    Subject: Long Valley Charter School: Consider Request for Material Revisions to Charter to Increase Enrollment and Add Resource Centers.

    Staff: Stephen Work

    ITEM 5 (DOC: 72KB; 5pp.)

    Type of Action: Discussion/Information

    Subject: Discussion and Public Testimony Regarding the Measurement of Pupil Academic Achievement in the Authorization, Renewal, and Revocation of California Charter Schools.

    Staff: Bonnie Galloway

    • Item 5 Attachment 1

    In addition to the above, the ACCS hereby provides notice that it reserves the right to consider and make recommendations at this meeting concerning other areas of the State Board of Education’s authority with respect to charter schools, which include but are not limited to:

    • Taking appropriate action, including, but not limited to, revocation with respect to State Board-granted and locally granted charters under specific circumstances set forth in statute.

    • Jointly with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, approving district-wide charter petitions when those petitions are determined to be satisfactory.
    • Developing and adopting regulations to implement various provisions of the Charter Schools Act of 1992 (Part 26.8 of the Education Code, commencing with Section 47600). Approving or denying requests to waive otherwise applicable provisions of law based upon requests submitted by charter schools and other local education agencies.
    • Assigning numbers to charter school petitions to ensure that the statutory cap on the number of charter schools is not exceeded.
    Future Meeting Schedule
    Day/DateLocation
    Wednesday, November 30, 2011California Department of Education
    1430 N Street, Suite 1101
    Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
    Wednesday, February 8, 2012California Department of Education
    1430 N Street, Suite 1101
    Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
    Wednesday, April 11, 2012California Department of Education
    1430 N Street, Suite 1101
    Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
    Wednesday, June 20, 2012California Department of Education
    1430 N Street, Suite 1101
    Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
    Wednesday, August 15, 2012California Department of Education
    1430 N Street, Suite 1101
    Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
    Wednesday, October 10, 2012California Department of Education
    1430 N Street, Suite 1101
    Sacramento, CA 95814-5901

    THE ORDER OF BUSINESS MAY BE CHANGED WITHOUT NOTICE

    Notice is hereby given that the order of consideration of matters on this agenda may be changed without prior notice.

    REASONABLE LIMITATIONS MAY BE PLACED ON PUBLIC TESTIMONY

    The presiding officer of the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS) reserves the right to impose reasonable time limits on public testimony to ensure that the agenda is completed.

    SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS MAY BE MADE

    Consistent with the requirements of the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, notice is hereby given that special presentations not mentioned in the agenda may be made at this meeting. However, any such presentation will be for information only.

    REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION WILL BE PROVIDED FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL WITH A DISABILITY

    Pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, any individual with a disability who requires reasonable accommodation to attend or participate in this meeting of the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS) may request assistance by contacting the Charter Schools Division at:

    Charter Schools Division
    California Department of Education
    1430 N Street, Suite 5401
    Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
    Phone: 916-322-6029
    Fax: 916-322-1465

    FOR MORE INFORMATION

    For more information concerning this agenda, or to join the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools specialized e-mail distribution list, please contact:

    Tina Simonoff
    Charter Schools Division
    California Department of Education
    1430 N Street, Suite 5401
    Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
    Phone: 916-322-6029
    Fax: 916-322-1465
    csimonoff@cde.ca.gov

    This notice appears on the CDE Advisory Commission on Charter Schools Web page .

    *Time(s) will be set aside for public comment at this meeting. Depending on the situation, and at the direction of the presiding officer, public comment may be entertained as appropriate at the beginning of, during, and/or at the end of the meeting. Reasonable limits will be placed on the amount of time allowed for individual comments.
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    NAACP Data on Dismal Conditions Faced by Milwaukee’s Black Citizens « Larry Miller's Blog

    NAACP Data on Dismal Conditions Faced by Milwaukee’s Black Citizens « Larry Miller's Blog:

    NAACP Data on Dismal Conditions Faced by Milwaukee’s Black Citizens

    by millerlf

    The NAACP issued a report in June of this year called Milwaukee Today: An Occasional Report of the NAACP.

    As poverty significantly increases in Milwaukee and around the nation the data presented in this report exposes the dire conditions facing African Americans in our city. While the lack of response by too many leaders is appalling, other Milwaukee leaders have willingly supported and encouraged draconian measures by Tea Party Republicans. This is criminal.

    Included in the report is an extensive list of the problems faced particularly among Milwaukee’s African American

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    Want a Real Economic Stimulus and Jobs Plan? Forgive Student Loan Debt!

    SignOn.org Beta:

    Want a Real Economic Stimulus and Jobs Plan? Forgive Student Loan Debt!

    By Robert Applebaum (Contact)

    To be delivered to: The United States House of Representatives, The United States Senate and President Barack Obama

    Forgiving the student loan debt of all Americans will have an immediate stimulative effect on our economy. With the stroke of the President's pen, millions of Americans would suddenly have hundreds, or in some cases, thousands of extra dollars in their pockets each and every month with which to spend on ailing sectors of the economy. As consumer spending increases, businesses will begin to hire, jobs will be created and a new era of innovation, entrepreneurship and prosperity will be ushered in for all. A rising tide does, in fact, lift all boats - forgiving student loan debt, rather than tax cuts for corporations, millionaires and billionaires, has a MUCH greater chance of helping to rise that tide in a MUCH shorter time-frame. The future economic success of this country is wholly dependent upon a well-educated, prosperous middle class. Instead of saddling entire generations with debt from which there is no escape, let's empower the American people to grow this economy on their own!

    Therefore, we, the undersigned, strongly encourage Congress and the President to support H. Res 365, introduced by Rep. Hansen Clarke (D-MI), seeking student loan forgiveness as a means of economic stimulus.
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    Charter School Opponents Want DOE To Charge Rent - NY1.com

    Charter School Opponents Want DOE To Charge Rent - NY1.com:

    Charter School Opponents Want DOE To Charge Rent

    By: NY1 News

    The battle over Charter Schools and whether or not they should be allowed to use space in public school buildings free of charge is playing out in court.

    At issue are some 100 charter schools.

    One parents' group estimates the city loses $100 million annually by not charging the charters rent.

    "My biggest advocate are my children and I have to advocate for them so I want to see changes made. Big changes made," said one lawsuit supporter.

    "Right now, basically they're getting a free ride that's money that could be collected and not only

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    Broward names new, Michelle Rhee-affiliated school superintendent | Florida Independent

    Broward names new, Michelle Rhee-affiliated school superintendent | Florida Independent:

    Broward names new, Michelle Rhee-affiliated school superintendent

    By | 09.15.11 | 9:32 am

    Michelle Rhee and Gov. Rick Scott (Pic via flgov.com)

    The Broward County School Board on Wednesday selected former businessman Robert Runcie as Broward’s next school superintendent. The Broward school system ”is the sixth largest and the largest fully accredited K-12 and adult school system in the country” with “nearly 257,000 students, 230 traditional schools and centers, 68 charter schools and one virtual school that serves elementary, middle and high school students.”

    According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the decision to select Runcie “ultimately came down to his business savvy and ability to improve technology and transportation in Chicago’s public schools.”

    The Sun Sentinel adds that Runcie, a Harvard economist who has no classroom experience and has

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    Getting teacher evaluation right - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

    Getting teacher evaluation right - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

    Getting teacher evaluation right

    By

    Here is an edited version of a briefing on the right way to evaluate teachers that Stanford University Professor Linda Darling-Hammond and other leading education research experts gave this week on Capitol Hill to policymakers.

    This is long, but I am publishing because the issue of how to evaluate teachers and develop high-quality teaching has become a — if not THE — primary focus of federal and state education.

    I have removed footnotes in the original, though sources are listed at the end. The forum was sponsored by the American Educational Research Association and the National Academy of Education.

    Along with Darling-Hammond, who was the leader of President Obama’s

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    Education Research Report: Preschoolers' grasp of numbers predicts math performance in school years

    Education Research Report: Preschoolers' grasp of numbers predicts math performance in school years:

    Preschoolers' grasp of numbers predicts math performance in school years

    Ī©

    Study reveals link between early number sense and elementary math scores

    A new study published today in the journal PLoS ONE reports that the precision with which preschoolers estimate quantities, prior to any formal education in mathematics, predicts their mathematics ability in elementary school, according to research from the Kennedy Krieger Institute.

    Humans have an intuitive sense of number that allows them, for example, to readily identify which of two containers has more objects without counting. This ability is present at birth, and gradually improves throughout childhood. Although it's easier to compare quantities if the amounts differ greatly (such as 30 versus 15 objects), greater precision is needed when comparing items that are much closer in number. When this ability is measured during the school age years, it correlates with mathematics achievement. However, it has been unclear until now whether this intuitive ability actually serves as a foundation for school-age math abilities.

    Results of the new study show that children's ability to make numerical estimates in preschool predicted their performance on mathematical tests taken in elementary school, more than two years later. The relationship appeared to be specific to math ability, because preschool number skills
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    An Attorney's Observations of LAUSD's Rubber Rooms by Ron Lapekas, esq. - Perdaily.com

    An Attorney's Observations of LAUSD's Rubber Rooms by Ron Lapekas, esq. (Observaciones de un abogado de habitaciones de goma LAUSD por Ron Lapekas, esq.) - Perdaily.com:

    An Attorney's Observations of LAUSD's Rubber Rooms by Ron Lapekas, esq. (Observaciones de un abogado de habitaciones de goma LAUSD por Ron Lapekas, esq.)

    by Leonard Isenberg
    jail visting room.jpeg

    (Mensaje se repite en EspaƱol)

    (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)

    I am an attorney who was a whistleblower in the 70's. I learned the hard way that it is extremely difficult to find a lawyer who is both competent and willing to represent someone crazy enough to report wrongdoing. So, I filed my first case - my own - while I was in law school. After winning the writ proceeding, I won my first appeal during my first year of practice. All in all, it took me 12 years to clear my name. As a result, a substantial part of my practice for the past several decades has been employment law.

    A few weeks ago I came into contact with Lenny Isenberg, a teacher who also was a whistleblower. He had been given a notice of dismissal and was preparing to defend himself because the attorney who originally represented

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