Dave Peterson is the epitome of what it means to be an educator, teacher, and mentor. He has nothing but the best intentions for his students and friends. His teachings have been applicable to almost every facet of my life and he has greatly helped me become the man I am today. I have the utmost unending respect for him and cannot speak highly enough about him, his work ethic, and his teaching.
G
Gabi Zerbib
11 years ago
Mr. P is exactly what an English teacher should be. He presents literature to his students in the way that these classic authors sought to present it to their readers. He asked for our honest interpretations. Maybe you didn't want to hear it. But our interpretations and discussions stemmed from what lived in our brains, not Mr. P. To remove him would be to ban literature and condemn the thoughts of our youth.
M
Matt Holt
11 years ago
I could write an intelligent endorsement for Mr. P rght now, like the other comments in this thread, but I'm going to dumb it down for whoever started this. This is complete horseshit. I'm sadly embarrassed for Arcadia right now.
J
Jon Martens
11 years ago
I have never heard students talk about a teacher as they do Dave Peterson. According to so many students, he is Arcadia's best teacher. To lose him would be a huge loss to our Arcadia students.
S
Susan Hudson
11 years ago
As an English Lit major myself, I know how important it is to pick the material to get the students charged up. And how difficult. Especially in this decade. Don't punish him for teaching students how to love literature, that's just crazy! It seems we learn nothing from history and are just doomed to repeat it in and endless cycle. Let's show our kids that we can learn from history.
M
Melissa Barber
11 years ago
Mr. P has the unique and rare ability AND willingness as a teacher to not only relate to high school students in the way he teaches, but also to excite them about what it is they are learning and ignite a passion for literature that is dangerously close to being forgotten in the digital age we are living in. Any teacher who can accomplish these things deserves praise and most definitely to keep his or her job, because they are few and far between. Mr. P was one of my favorite teachers throughout high school and instilled in me the value of story. Yes, some of what we read contained challenging content. But the reality of a high school student can often be far more challenging. Mr. P was only ever trying to meet us where we were at and teach us to think critically at an early age. Two things he should not be punished for.
M
Michael Gray
11 years ago
Mr. Peterson is by far the best teacher I have ever had. I don't believe it is fair to challenge the relevance of his curriculum. It would be a great loss to Arcadia and it's students. Mr. Peterson has all of my support.
M
Matt Spahle
11 years ago
These parents are what is wrong with the world. If you don't want your kids learning about the REAL world home school them!
J
J S Liptrap
11 years ago
I do not know Mr. Paterson, but it’s apparent that the people petitioning for his removal are doing so on the basis of a subjective morality. There is no substance to the argument that the curriculum being taught in his class is offensive. Literature, by its nature, is meant to be offensive and rude. Literature serves a greater purpose than just telling a story. It teaches lessons by analogy, and forces a student to confront their own justifications for taking a position, one way or the other. Especially with younger people, they come to high school with preconceived notions about race and class systems, and politics, just touching on a few. Literature requires confrontation with these preconceived notions. Some of the truths found in literature are wretched, but they are important for growth. They are important for a better and more equipped next generation. The world is not nice: disease, famine, corruption, poverty, civil war, Apartheid, slavery, sex trafficking. I could go on, but all one need do is pick up a newspaper. Creativity and imagination, attention to detail, structured thought and problem solving skills come from being able to critically and analytically look at a piece of writing. A student cannot develop that arsenal without complex themes, three-dimensional characters and contumacious disregard for the status quo.
‘My idea is always to reach my generation. The wise writer writes for the youth of his own generation, the critics of the next, and the schoolmasters of ever afterward.’
F.S. Fitzgerald
R
Robert Wilder
11 years ago
Arcadia high parents and students,
You need to go straight to the admin and the district and alert local print/tv/radio/twitter/yik-yak/etc about censorship and the lack of academic freedom. If this news goes wide, you'll get heard.
S
Sean Jarvis
11 years ago
While I never had the privilege of having Mr. Peterson as a teacher, his passion, skill, and ability as a teacher is irrefutable to me. I have known many people who were lucky enough to be in his class, and every single one of them has told me of the profound and positive impact that he had on not only their academics, but also their lives. My youngest brother is currently in Mr. Peterson's class and he is yet another student that is singing Mr. P's praises. In my Dad's words "I wish my son could have Mr. P as a teacher for all four years of high school." The fact that Mr. P's job has come under review is a complete travesty of justice. If you think that the material that Mr. P has used in his class is too offensive for high school students, then clearly you do not understand the world that your children are living in. In fact, Mr. P's actions illustrate how genuine and caring he really is, by tackling 'sensitive' issues in class, young students can form perspective on these issues outside of a peer pressured context. If the school District decides to terminate such an outstanding educator because of a minority of misguided views, then they will be establishing a precedent for teachers to 'walk on eggshells,' worrying more about appearances than the quality of the material being taught and the positive impact on students. This precedent will limit the ability of great teachers like Mr. P to educate young students, sacrificing quality to satiate the mistaken notions of only a select few. Do not make this mistake by letting Mr. P go!
J
James Alex McLellan
11 years ago
I became an outdoor educator because of Mr. Peterson. Every day I interact with my students, I draw from his masterful techniques to connect and keep them engaged. The artistic material presented in his class is vital to keeping teens interested in a subject that is often dreaded. I can only hope to be half the educator he is. Thank you for being there Mr. P!
D
Daniel Rose
11 years ago
Featured
Mr. P was easily one of my favorite teachers, and yes, his class was challenging. That was the point. But his class did more to prepare me for college writing than any other class at Arcadia. Firing Mr. P would be a pitiful and avoidable mistake.
Dave Peterson is the epitome of what it means to be an educator, teacher, and mentor. He has nothing but the best intentions for his students and friends. His teachings have been applicable to almost every facet of my life and he has greatly helped me become the man I am today. I have the utmost unending respect for him and cannot speak highly enough about him, his work ethic, and his teaching.
Mr. P is exactly what an English teacher should be. He presents literature to his students in the way that these classic authors sought to present it to their readers. He asked for our honest interpretations. Maybe you didn't want to hear it. But our interpretations and discussions stemmed from what lived in our brains, not Mr. P. To remove him would be to ban literature and condemn the thoughts of our youth.
I could write an intelligent endorsement for Mr. P rght now, like the other comments in this thread, but I'm going to dumb it down for whoever started this. This is complete horseshit. I'm sadly embarrassed for Arcadia right now.
I have never heard students talk about a teacher as they do Dave Peterson. According to so many students, he is Arcadia's best teacher. To lose him would be a huge loss to our Arcadia students.
As an English Lit major myself, I know how important it is to pick the material to get the students charged up. And how difficult. Especially in this decade. Don't punish him for teaching students how to love literature, that's just crazy! It seems we learn nothing from history and are just doomed to repeat it in and endless cycle. Let's show our kids that we can learn from history.
Mr. P has the unique and rare ability AND willingness as a teacher to not only relate to high school students in the way he teaches, but also to excite them about what it is they are learning and ignite a passion for literature that is dangerously close to being forgotten in the digital age we are living in. Any teacher who can accomplish these things deserves praise and most definitely to keep his or her job, because they are few and far between. Mr. P was one of my favorite teachers throughout high school and instilled in me the value of story. Yes, some of what we read contained challenging content. But the reality of a high school student can often be far more challenging. Mr. P was only ever trying to meet us where we were at and teach us to think critically at an early age. Two things he should not be punished for.
Mr. Peterson is by far the best teacher I have ever had. I don't believe it is fair to challenge the relevance of his curriculum. It would be a great loss to Arcadia and it's students. Mr. Peterson has all of my support.
These parents are what is wrong with the world. If you don't want your kids learning about the REAL world home school them!
I do not know Mr. Paterson, but it’s apparent that the people petitioning for his removal are doing so on the basis of a subjective morality. There is no substance to the argument that the curriculum being taught in his class is offensive. Literature, by its nature, is meant to be offensive and rude. Literature serves a greater purpose than just telling a story. It teaches lessons by analogy, and forces a student to confront their own justifications for taking a position, one way or the other. Especially with younger people, they come to high school with preconceived notions about race and class systems, and politics, just touching on a few. Literature requires confrontation with these preconceived notions. Some of the truths found in literature are wretched, but they are important for growth. They are important for a better and more equipped next generation. The world is not nice: disease, famine, corruption, poverty, civil war, Apartheid, slavery, sex trafficking. I could go on, but all one need do is pick up a newspaper. Creativity and imagination, attention to detail, structured thought and problem solving skills come from being able to critically and analytically look at a piece of writing. A student cannot develop that arsenal without complex themes, three-dimensional characters and contumacious disregard for the status quo. ‘My idea is always to reach my generation. The wise writer writes for the youth of his own generation, the critics of the next, and the schoolmasters of ever afterward.’ F.S. Fitzgerald
Arcadia high parents and students, You need to go straight to the admin and the district and alert local print/tv/radio/twitter/yik-yak/etc about censorship and the lack of academic freedom. If this news goes wide, you'll get heard.
While I never had the privilege of having Mr. Peterson as a teacher, his passion, skill, and ability as a teacher is irrefutable to me. I have known many people who were lucky enough to be in his class, and every single one of them has told me of the profound and positive impact that he had on not only their academics, but also their lives. My youngest brother is currently in Mr. Peterson's class and he is yet another student that is singing Mr. P's praises. In my Dad's words "I wish my son could have Mr. P as a teacher for all four years of high school." The fact that Mr. P's job has come under review is a complete travesty of justice. If you think that the material that Mr. P has used in his class is too offensive for high school students, then clearly you do not understand the world that your children are living in. In fact, Mr. P's actions illustrate how genuine and caring he really is, by tackling 'sensitive' issues in class, young students can form perspective on these issues outside of a peer pressured context. If the school District decides to terminate such an outstanding educator because of a minority of misguided views, then they will be establishing a precedent for teachers to 'walk on eggshells,' worrying more about appearances than the quality of the material being taught and the positive impact on students. This precedent will limit the ability of great teachers like Mr. P to educate young students, sacrificing quality to satiate the mistaken notions of only a select few. Do not make this mistake by letting Mr. P go!
I became an outdoor educator because of Mr. Peterson. Every day I interact with my students, I draw from his masterful techniques to connect and keep them engaged. The artistic material presented in his class is vital to keeping teens interested in a subject that is often dreaded. I can only hope to be half the educator he is. Thank you for being there Mr. P!
Mr. P was easily one of my favorite teachers, and yes, his class was challenging. That was the point. But his class did more to prepare me for college writing than any other class at Arcadia. Firing Mr. P would be a pitiful and avoidable mistake.