Memo to Principals

To: Principal
From: Emily Hanson, Program Director, College in the Schools
Re: Request for letter of recommendation

An essential part of the application to teach a University of Minnesota Twin Cities course through College in the Schools is a letter of recommendation in support of the applicant, from the principal. It serves three primary purposes:

  1. As the applicant’s supervisor, your letter serves as a critical validation for the Higher Learning Commission, the accrediting body for the University, of the depth and breadth of the applicant’s content knowledge in the subject area of the U of M course they are applying to teach. If you don’t have direct knowledge of the applicant’s understanding in the subject area, you may wish to have a conversation with others who can attest to this before you write the letter of recommendation. See how the recommendation letter can be used to effectively validate content knowledge in the example on the next page.
  2. Faculty at the University are also interested in your knowledge of the contributions of the applicant to the high school.
  3. Lastly, submitting this letter to the CIS office affirms that you understand the high school’s responsibilities. Review the Administrators page of the CIS website for this information.

On school letterhead, please address each of the following:

  • Affirm that you understand the high school’s responsibilities outlined on the CIS website.
  • How long you have known and worked with the applicant;
  • Evidence of the applicant’s knowledge in the subject area; include one or two specific accomplishments or achievements that demonstrate knowledge in the subject;
  • Evidence of the applicant’s commitment to deepening their own knowledge and improving instruction in the subject or related subjects;
  • Examples of the applicant’s initiative, creativity, resourcefulness, leadership ability and/or other examples of the value that the applicant brings to your school;
  • Anything else you believe is important for faculty to consider as they are reviewing the application.

If your instructor has already begun the application process, please use the submission link provided to you in a recent email message to submit your letter of recommendation,

or

Please send your completed and signed letter to:

[email protected]

Example: Principal’s Letter of Recommendation

11/1/2018

To whom it may concern:

I am pleased to write this letter in support of Jane Doe’s* application to teach WRIT 1201—Writing Studio. She is a talented and committed teacher and her knowledge of writing and how to teach writing is extensive. Jane was an English teacher at Berry High School* when I took the position as principal four years ago.

I’ve not had many opportunities to work closely with Ms. Doe on projects that would demonstrate the depth of her understanding of writing and the writing process, but in preparing to write this letter I talked with the district curriculum director, Dr. Mary Major*, about Ms. Doe’s leadership on a curriculum committee from 2013 - 2015. The committee was convened to build writing instruction into all of the courses offered at the high school. Jane led the initiative to develop uniform grading standards for written work through the use of rubrics and anchor papers. Dr. Major described Jane’s contributions to the committee, over the two-year period, as “significant and very insightful. Ms. Doe clearly understands academic writing and how the writing process can build higher order academic skills.”

Jane has taught both literature and composition courses at Berry for six years and in that time she has reviewed and graded hundreds of essays and reports. Her commitment to deepening her knowledge of writing and effective writing instruction are clear. She has participated in a variety of professional development workshops, including Advanced Placement trainings in literature and composition, as well as workshops sponsored by the Minnesota Writing Project at the University of Minnesota.

I would also like to emphasize that Jane has worked successfully with the target student population for WRIT 1201. 40% of our high school students are eligible for free or reduced price lunch, and all students are required to take the English courses that Jane has taught. She fully appreciates that offering the U of M writing course through CIS will be a challenge for some of her students, but she has always held them to high standards and expected great things.

In closing, I wish to affirm that I understand the responsibilities of the high school in offering a University of Minnesota course through College in the Schools.

Sincerely,

Signature of George Martin

 

 

George Martin*, Principal
Berry High School
952-238-4841
[email protected]

* Name is fictitious and used for example only