Signatures Reinstate Pete Panse Petition : [ powered by iPetitions.com ]

#	First Name	Last Name	State	Country	Comments
1	LUCIANO	NOBILE		IT	Unbelivable and unbearable!!!
2	Brian	Yoder	CA	US	If anyone should be suspended it is any teacher who does NOT recommend a figure drawing class for his advanced students, not Mr. Panse!
3	Lawrence	Moon		UK
4	Michael	Ferguson	CT	US	Please reinstate this teacher, he is doing a great service for your community and your kids...
5	Anonymous	Anonymous	NY	US
6	Dennis	DePasquale	NY	US
7	Margaret	Kazdan	NY	US	I have a degree in art education and studied figure drawing as a teen ager. While it might not be approprate for every teen, for a dedicated art student, a figure drawing class is necessary. To fire a teacher for recommending it is ludicrous.
8	Michelle	Skoorka	RI	US	Please reinstate Mr. Panse. Our schools are lacking in great teachers, and it is ridiculous to fire such a wonderful mentor.
9	Anonymous	Anonymous	NY	US	The human body, both male and female, are one of the most wondrous natural works of art. There is beauty in the human form and anyone that makes this figure drawing of nudes into a sexual experience are the ones who need to look in the mirror.
10	Anonymous	Anonymous	NY	US
11	Ilene	Rietsch	NY	US	I am a Kindergarten teacher in Greenwich, CT and I have known Pete for 18 years. I have never met a more dedicated teacher. He puts 110% into everything he does and he shows great pride in the success of his students. He has only the children's best interest at heart and this whole situation is about as ridiculous as arresting the Tooth Fairy for "Breaking and Entering".
12	edward	klein	NY	US
13	John	Hunter
14	terry	davidson	NY	US
15	Laurie	Fendrich	NY	US	My comments are a matter of record, as I have written to the Middletown School Board. This matter should not be up for discussion, and Mr. Panse should be reinstated as art teacher at Middletown High School.
16	Patrick	Dizon		PH
17	Evan	Millner		UK	Chairman, Toynbee Hall Art Club (erst. 1886).
18	Werner	Teiler		DE	I can only shake my head. But it's not only an american problem, in germany these ignorance have another face, but basically it's the same
19	Jennifer	Matott	NY	US	This is outrageous and one only needs to research what Universities and Art Schools are looking for in way of admissions to find out that Mr. Panse was only doing his best to inform his students of the best portfolio options.
20	Nadine	Miller	NY	US	This case is ridiculous and should be dropped. The student artwork is fantastic.
21	brendan	larsen			i find this horribly discouraging. all of my high school art teachers (all of them who were worth anything, that is) suggested attending figure drawing classes. it's ridiculous that this should even be an issue. there is more sexuality in 10 seconds of television than there is in an entire semester of life drawing.
22	Jane	Berzner	NY	US
23	dr jack walter	klein	NC		That this needs to be done is truly a sad commentary. Their district probably does not deserve this teacher.
24	Anonymous	Anonymous	NC		That this needs to be done is truly a sad commentary. Their district probably does not deserve this teacher.
25	Todd	Poteet	NY	US	As Director of the Art Institute of Mill Street Loft, core instructor, college counselor, and ex-portfolio representative of one of the top art schools in our nation, I find the action of the Middletown Board of Ed. dangerous, naive, and irresponsible. Peter Panse was benefiting the students they are also responsible for and his actions should be commended not punished.
26	Megan	Karlen	NY	US	Ridiculous case. Reinstate Pete Panse.
27	Kelly	Clark	NJ	US	Any art teacher who is knowledgeable about their subject knows the value of life drawing particularly nude studies. I have recommended students of mine take precollege courses and local art centers figure drawing classes in order to demonstrate maturity in their portfolio. If Mr. Panse needs any support tell him that in Middlesex NJ we are allowed to encourage our students to be the best they can be through outside curriculum.
28	Michelle	Labriola	NY	US	I feel that this case is completely absurd. Figure drawing is the least sexual class I've ever taken. It's about expression and observation, not sexuality. I am appalled that this is even being discussed, let alone being taken to court. What's next? Students won't be able to draw self portraits because they're too personal? Still life drawings will be outlawed because they can become too expressive?
29	Trisha	Hahn	GA	US	I graduated from and now work for a highly acclaimed art and design university... training in life drawing was critical to my success as an artist. As a recruiter for the college I am appalled at the lack of advanced level instruction for high school art students. Please don't take away yet another great teacher! Students need teachers like Pete Panse to help them achieve their dreams and goals!
30	Martha	Donaldson	NY	US	It sounds to me like Mr. Panse is affording these students every opportunity to be the best artists they can be. I think the Middletown schools are lucky to have him.
31	George	Laws	NY	US
32	Kathy	Perhach	NJ	US
33	Cornelia	Seckel	NY	US	There is a line between art and lewed behavior and it appears to me that Mr Pance has not crossed it. The district needs to re evaluate what is art and what is sexual harrassment. There are far worse offenses commited every day by teachers who are lazy, ineffectual and power hungry.
34	Lauren	Wilshusen	MA	US
35	Suzanna	Bray	MA	US
36	Kayla	Viani	NY	US
37	Anonymous	Anonymous	NY	US	I am an art student at The Cooper Union in New York, and I feel that figure drawing is one of the best forms of learning the figure and advancing in art. I have been taking these courses since I was 15, and there is absolutely no sexual implications, AT ALL. It is an extremely offensive and rediculous that this type of complaint has gone through ANY institution.
38	sal	decicco	NY	US
39	emily	ritz	NY	US
40	Justin	Hirsch	NY	US	This is one of the most outrageous cases I have ever encountered. I am an art student myself, and took nude figure drawing classes beginning in 9th grade. I no way did these courses pervert me or subject me to "inappropriate" sexual experiences. The knowledge and experience I gained from my figure drawing experience helped to vastly improve my knowledge of the human form, and improved my skills as an artist. I think a good knowledge of figure drawing is an integral part of any serious art student, and the accusation that it is in some way perverse or obscene is absurd and paranoid. I am disgusted at the audacity the school board has shown in this case by depriving a respected teacher and artist of his job, his respect, and his ability to teach future artists.
41	Andre	Garabedian	NY	US	Figure Drawing from the nude figure is essential to any young artists development. It is clear that the Superintendent, and School Board know nothing of art, and drawing. Should the works of the great masters be kept hidden because they may be nude drawings, paintings or sculptures? I think not.
42	Justin	Rosengarten	NY	US	I hate ignorance!
43	leigh	bromer	NY	US	this is the most rediculiuos thing I've heard of. I wouldn't be at art school if it weren't for classes such as figure,who in their right mind would think of it as a sexual thing, besides don't parents have to sign a permition slip for children under 18. heaven forbid someone tries to improve their students instead of letting their art class be a bird course, like in most high schools.
44	Rebecca	Bolde	NY		this is outrageous.
45	Josh	Dorman			As an art teacher myself, I find this horrifying. Shame on the school.
46	Katharyn	LaRanger	NY	US	This is absolutely ridiculous.
47	Caitlyn	Phillips	NY	US	I have been taking figure drawing classes since 8th Grade with Todd Poteet at Mill Street Loft. My mother signed me up for these classes, and there was nothing sexual even mentioned. The thought that people would even assume this enrages me. The classes were incredibly professional and respectful. Figure Drawing Classes were what I looked forward to every week, and taught me every fundamental, as well as advanced skill of drawing I can think of. Figure Drawing is a staple to any art. The skills I have learned in Figure Drawing even help me with Graphic Design, which is what I am currently studying at the Pratt Institute. Figure Drawing teaches you proportions, movement, composition, etc. I have been told that most students will not even be eligible to recieve a scholarship to Art Colleges unless they have previous Figure Drawing experience. If I spent my 4 highschool years persuing the arts, and nobody had ever introduced me to figure drawing, I would not have been able to go to Pratt Institute, and my entire 4 year persuit would have been for nothing. My freshman year at Pratt Institute, every student was REQUIRED to take a 6 hour figure drawing class once a week, and encouraged to attend open drawing which is offered twice a week. If a student is not being told about these classes by their art instructor, the instructor should be fired for not guiding the student to persue their dreams and goals. Isn't that the job of a highschool professor, and the whole point of high school anyway?
48	Victoria	Venditto	NY	US	This is completely OUTRAGEOUS! Figure Drawing classes are NOT of sexual nature whatsoever and this poor man has done nothing wrong!
49	Stan	Dorman	MD	US	Refreshing to see that one ignorant parent can intimidate an entire School Board!
50	Kathryn	Casey	NY	US	This is absolutly absurd. I am currently attending a figure drawing class with some of Mr. Panse's students at Mill Street Loft. We're all upset that someone like Mr. Panse could loose his job for trying to furthur the education of his students.