Jim Newton of the Los Angeles Times has a column this morning headlined, “A.J. Duffy in Exile.” It begins:

“A.J. Duffy is, at least for the moment, a man without a country.”

I expected to read that Duffy had been deported or something and had been refused entry into his native land and now was forced to live in an airport terminal, like that Tom Hanks movie.

But no, Duffy is still in LA. However, he’s back in the classroom, teaching. Gasp!

When last we heard from Duffy, he had been term-limited out as president of United Teachers Los Angeles, failed to get elected as vice president of the California Teachers Association, and became a founding member and executive director of the Apple Academy charter school.

But Duffy’s position at the charter was eliminated due to budget cuts, and while he says he enjoys teaching, he misses the limelight. “When you’re at the top of the mountain and you have to step down, it’s a big, big change,” he said. “For me, initially I missed the glamour…. After that, I miss the ability to make change. I make no bones about it. I miss it.”

Surely there’s an organization with a need for a man with the unique ability to turn a phrase. Won’t you save A.J. Duffy from his ennui?