Petition Drive to Help PHS Teacher Gains Momentum

A online petition drive launched by a Portsmouth High School student to help a teacher that has come under fire for alleged inappropriate conduct in the classroom will be presented to the School Board.

Janet Tucker, the mother of a high school student, said the petition drive launched by PHS student Christian Gum to help teacher Joe Arnstein keep his job had nearly 400 signatures as of Thursday afternoon. She said several students and community members want to formally present the petition to the School Board at their next meeting and the petition was forwarded to Portsmouth Schools Superintendent Ed McDonough on Wednesday.

The Change.org petition titled "Portsmouth School Board: Maintain Joe Arnstein as a teacher at PHS" has also seen several of Arnstein's former students make supportive comments. A Facebook page created for Arnstein also had 418 likes as of Thursday afternoon.

Tucker said many of Arnstein's students from all over the United States have posted comments on the petition's home page since it was launched two days ago. “He’s one of the best teachers there,” she said.

Arnstein, who has taught foreign languages and Latin at the high school for more than 40 years, has come under fire for his alleged inappropriate conduct while teaching a Latin class last fall.

According to Tucker, Arnstein was playing a game with students called "peso/beso" where if a student guessed the correct vocabulary word, they would receive a peso coin, or a beso, or kiss on Arnstein's cheek. According to Portsmouth school officials, Arnstein was also cited for inappropriate conduct when he played R-rated movies for students in his classroom.

Arnstein was suspended for a few days last fall following these incidents and Tucker said the father of a female student who was especially offended by Arnstein's actions hired Attorney Jay Nadeau who filed a request with the school administration office to remove Arnstein from his job while the legal complaint is ejudicated. Tucker said Arnstein is currently teaching at the high school.

Gum's petition addresses this latest legal action directly:

"Though what he did may have caused discomfort in a student, this has been dealt with by the school. By creating an unnecessary lawsuit, there may be a chance Arnstein might be fired or pushed into an "early retirement". To let a man lose his career over a matter the school district has already handled is unthinkable and immoral. Arnstein must hold his position at the school, even under these pressing circumstances," the petition reads.

The petition also acknowledges that Arnstein's unorthodox teaching style has successfully reached many high school students in ways that other educators might not have.

"For all those who have had Arnstein as a teacher, his teaching style is unorthodox to say the least. But through engaging his class and keeping students attentive, this unorthodoxy proves extremely effective. Students of Arnstein's learn subjects ranging from grammar, to history, to how to change a tire. Students will always remember the Latin ballad "O Subjunctive Tree" or the poetry of Homer's The Odyssey. Few other teachers at Portsmouth High School have the experience or natural teaching ability as Arnstein," the petition reads.

Sara Odom of Kittery, Maine, one of Arnstein's former students, wrote this comment on the petition: "Joe Arnstein is the reason I took Latin (Latin!) for three years. Ten years on and I have forgotten Latin, but I will never forget Joe Arnstein."

Charlotte Richard of Somersworth, another former student, wrote, "He was, and I'm sure is, a great teacher. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone can perceive behavior differently. He should not be fired or forced out."

The School Board's next regularly scheduled meeting is on March 26 at 7 p.m. at the Robert J. Lister Academy. Tucker said she anticipates there will be many of Arnstein's current and former students as well as community members who will address the board during the public comment portion of the meeting to speak in support of him.

When asked if she believes the online petition drive will help Arnstein keep his job, Tucker replied, "I believe it will make a difference."