Posthumous reinstatement of teaching license

A conversation was started about Mr. Tyrone Copeland. A teacher, graduate of Sprayberry High School class of 1968 and Kennesaw State College and graduated from West Georgia University. This was the story that got not only a huge amount of attention, but made many cry. This is the link to the "hearing" he had to endure. !http://archives.gadoe.org/.../doe/legalservices/1987-43.pdf Governor Deal, this man was an extraordinary teacher and man. He died just a few short years after his teaching license was revoked. Please read this and you'll understand. I have SO many of his other students who will back me up on this. The following is an ongoing post on Facebook. People who knew him are outraged. I'd like to be able to give his Mother the peace of mind of knowing her son's legacy was preserved properly and for his children to know their Father was a TEACHER. Alright. Here is what happened. I haven't published this on any wall, but I do have proof of what I'm about to say. When Elizabeth closed, Mr. Copeland went to another school to teach in a well to do area. We all know his unorthodox teaching methods. They're the only reason I know my times tables to this day. I had Fetal Alcohol syndrome when I was born. I had a tough time of it for quite a while especially school. I had all these little white ladies for teachers then the 4th grade came. MR??? Then I SAW him! He looked HUGE to me then. I was totally convinced he was going to eat me lol. He was standing outside his classroom door with his chin up and hands folded like always and noticed I looked freaked out. He called me over, smiled at me and asked my name. He said Oh, you're in my class! Welcome Ms. Gilleland! Please take a seat. Whew! He took notice of my learning disability. He realized I was good with words and I could read like a mug. So he took me to the advanced reading class across the hall and asked that I be given a chance to try. The teacher there knew I'd been in special ed and thought what a mean thing to do to her! But Mr. Copeland insisted. My self esteem was squat and I was scared. But I rocked that class! I came in third in a speed reading contest and I'm now a published Author. I wanted to tell him what a difference he'd made in my life so I went to find him. I found what Skip found. And I cried. Then I found something that made me MAD. Turns out the community he worked in after Elizabeth didn't like his "unorthodox teaching methods" and after snobby parental complaints, they put him in front of the Cobb County board of Education and after he plead to them to keep his job, they gave in to the equivalent of peer pressure from the parents and not only fired him, but stripped him of his teaching license for good. He went into construction and died just a few years later. Of an "enlarged heart." Broken, I say. They took all that mattered to him away and we all know what a fabulous teacher he was. Since then, I've started working on getting his teaching license posthumously re-instated. I've had SO many people of all colors and backgrounds write to me and tell me "How Mr. Copeland helped me not be a failure even if I wanted to" stories. I'll share one. There were many. He heard one of his student's sister was very ill and at Children's hospital in Atlanta. He promised the student he'd come visit the sister that weekend. The day he was supposed to go, it rained like crazy all day and all he had was a motorcycle. The little girl had heard all about him and wanted to meet him but they figured and understood he just couldn't get there in that weather with no car. That afternoon, Mr. Copeland showed up at the hospital just when he said he would and had driven on his motorcycle all the way from Marietta. He put dry clothes in a bag for when he got there and apologized for his hair being wet. That's just one. I want his teaching license re-instated for us, the children he made such a difference for. For his family. For his children. And mostly to right a really big time wrong in my book. I was nowhere near close to the only person he made such an impact on. The stories are incredible and endless. If anyone has read this far and wants to sign a petition to help me get this license back, please let me know. I plan to take a copy to his mother if she lives long enough and to his children to let them know their father was a teacher and a damned good one. And a fine man. Then I'm going to have it weather sealed and put it on his grave. It's the least I can do. Sorry this was so long. If anyone wants to see proof of what I've said, I have it. And multiple amazing stories from students to back it up as well. A petition with the stories attached would go a long way. Right now I'm fighting alone. And I won't stop til they LISTEN no matter what. But help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading. RIP Mr. Copeland. I'm working on it sir. 1-12 on 6 if I don't. I know....(Thank you for your time and attention on this matter Governor Deal.)