This past week, Casady Upper Division Head Peter Huestis, informed longtime teacher Tom Ziebell that his contract was not going to be renewed, after 21 years of service to the school as a teacher, coach, and mentor for countless students. Many of you worked under Mr. Ziebell's guidance at Casady, and likely join many others in their shock, anger, or utter bewilderment that such an irrational decision could be made. If this is the case, PLEASE speak out as soon as possible, so we can try and prevent the administration from following through on these intentions. You can do so by adding your name to this petition and leaving a comment, but PLEASE don't stop there. Contact the administration and board of trustees directly via phone or letter, and spread the word as much as possible. Ironically the best tribute to Mr. Ziebell's longtime service to the school can be found on Casady's own website, where his contributions as an educator were highlighted in the most recent Faculty Spotlight: "Mr. Tom Ziebell has been a teacher, parent and coach at Casady School for twenty-one years. He currently teaches Upper Division French and African History and appreciates the opportunities Casady students have in school and beyond. "It is a joy for me to come to school every day and teach many polite, bright and motivated students," he said. "My children graduated from Casady in 1993, 1997 and 2006, and they went away to college well-prepared and deeply appreciative of their teachers' efforts and kindness." Mr. Ziebell and his wife, a French and Russian teacher at Harding Charter Preparatory, will be accompanying a group of Casady and Harding students on a trip to Amiens, France, this spring where they have formed a partnership with a French high school. What most people do not know about Mr. Ziebell is that he spent three years teaching in Ethiopia. While there, he helped coach the Ethiopian national basketball team in pre-Olympic competition in 1974. He also taught in England for two years and Cameroon for five years. He also enjoys woodworking, gardening and traveling. Mr. Ziebell earned his bachelor's degree in French from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota and his master's degree in French from Middlebury College in Vermont. He was also the recipient of the Mike Monroney Fellowship award in 1997 and the Karen Knutson Award in 2006." http://www.casady.org/podium/default.aspx?t=133847