Deb Cook Recommendation Final

March 13, 2014 To Whom It May Concern: I am writing this letter to recommend Deb Cook for an administrative position
within your school division. It has been my distinct pleasure to teach, collaborate, innovate, and create with Deb for a decade. Over the last ten years, I have witnessed, as well as benefitted from, the myriad skills and talents that Deb brings to the realm of public education. I can state unequivocally and with great conviction that she will be a tremendous asset to your school system. I met Deb when I accepted my first teaching position in Greene County, Virginia. As with many first-year teachers, I struggled with developing my own curriculum, understanding how to best create positive relationships with my students, and managing my classroom and time. Sympathetic to my struggles, Deb was quick to take me under her wing. She shared her curricular resources, provided me feedback and suggestions on my teaching and classroom management, collaborated with me on lesson plans and labs, and helped me develop the necessary skills to juggle all of the demands of a first-year teacher. She was an outstanding mentor and role model to me throughout my first year. I attribute much of my present teaching successes to her early tutelage and guidance. In fact, I feel sure that many of the teachers Deb has mentored, both formally and informally, during our tenure together would say the same. We taught together for three years in Greene County, Virginia. During that time, I watched Deb masterfully develop, grow, and circularly enrich the Blue Ridge Virtual Governors School. The STEM-based program she created was cutting-edge, rigorous, and creative. When these qualities were paired with her incredible enthusiasm and passion for the content, it motivated her students to reach local, regional, and national achievements that they never before thought possible. As well as developing and maintaining positive relationships with students and faculty, Deb also found it important to reach out and encourage relationships and partnerships within both the local community and the academic community at-large. Over the span of four years, Deb created and solidified a plethora of meaningful connections between parents, professionals, professors, and businesses. Upon observing her dedicated and tireless work with students, these partners were always quick to support Deb in whatever capacity they could. It is clear that Debs outstanding work in Greene County left a lasting legacy, both within the school and the community. At the end of my third year, both Deb and I accepted teaching positions at Charlottesville High School (CHS). We were excited to have the opportunity to work in a different school climate and with a more diverse student population. While Deb had already demonstrated to me her high caliber of teaching in Greene County, it has been during our time at CHS that I have witnessed Deb become an educational leader. When we began teaching at CHS, it was readily apparent that the academic biology curriculum was in desperate need of an overhaul. It was outdated and no longer met the
needs of our ever-changing student population. Deb quickly employed her skills of designing highly engaging, motivating, and rigorous curriculum with her ability to masterfully integrate educational technology to create a flipped classroom curriculum (www.biomonsters.com). As testament to its success, her curriculum is now being utilized throughout many schools in the Commonwealth as well as nationwide. In addition, she has designed and piloted several highly successful virtual and hybrid science courses for the Division on variety of LMS platforms. She currently lends her curricular expertise and knowledge to other teachers through peer observations, virtual correspondence, and professional development courses throughout Virginia on the flipped classroom model and designing and building virtual curriculum. That being said, Debs strongest asset as a teacher is and has always been her resolution to put nothing before the needs of her students. Her commitment to establishing and maintaining positive relationships with students is omnipresent in every action and decision that she makes. She possesses the intuitive gift of being able to connect and work with students at all levels, from gifted to at-risk, and from all walks of life. Deb is so much more than a teacher to so many of our students. She is an advocate, a role model, a mentor, and sometimes even a safety net for those who have no one else. She selflessly, and without hesitation, gives of her time, talents, and resources to ensure that the needs of her students are met. Simply put, if a student needs Deb Cook, no matter what the reason, she will do everything in her capacity to be there. Truly fortunate is the student who can say, Ms. Cook is my teacher. Deb Cook is an innovative, insightful visionary in the realm of public education. Her myriad ideas, talents, and skills will undoubtedly help to continue to move public education forward. In addition, she is, without question, the most talented and passionate teacher that I have ever had the pleasure to work with. Her professionalism, creativity, complete dedication to students, and strong educational leadership skills are invaluable assets to our division and will surely prove the same in her next endeavor. In summation, it is my utmost pleasure to give her my highest recommendation for an administrative position in your school division. Sincerely,
Jennifer L. Creasy Science Teacher Charlottesville High School [email protected] (434) 245-2410 ext. 1023

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March 13, 2014 To Whom It May Concern: I am writing this letter to recommend Deb Cook for an administrative position

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