April 20, 2015

To the Hiring Committee:

It is my pleasure to write this letter of recommendation for Ms. Jean Jolley, a talented administrator who has served the
Elgin High School leadership team as the Divisional Chairperson for math and science. I cannot think of anyone else on
my leadership team with more instructional or leadership experience, and for that matter, I cannot think of many
administrators I seen who have equally excelled as a true instructional leaders as well as a servant leader. Ms. Jolley has
done everything one would expect her to do to prepare for an associate principal position.
Ms. Jolley possesses many exceptional gifts as an instructional leader and has demonstrated her leadership skills on
numerous occasions during her tenure at Elgin High School. She has been our resident expert on standards based
grading and has lead many professional development workshops at the school and district levels in order to help all
stakeholders adapt to the new assessment methods. Many teachers from all departments have appreciated her knowledge
and expertise; she has made the transition virtually seamless. Additionally, Ms. Jolley is a true instructional leader. She
takes great pride in staying current with the developing trends in education and shares her knowledge with her
department members. She has lead her departments through major curricular changes in light of the Common Core State
Standards as well as the PARCC assessment. Ms. Jolley is truly a curriculum and instruction expert. Well versed in the
UbD framework as well as best practices in secondary education instruction, Ms. Jolley has helped her department adapt
and challenge their teaching practices in order to become stronger practitioners in the classroom. She is a true
instructional coach. I have observed Ms. Jolley lead reflective/summative conferences. Her questioning, strategies, and
overall approach is welcoming and encourages teachers to be reflective in their craft.
Ms. Jolley is a genuine servant leader. She is able to identify the needs of her staff and provide them with the necessary
resources and coaching to help them excel. Additionally, Ms. Jolley possesses exemplary problem solving skills and is
able to work well with her administrator colleagues and staff to resolve conflicts. Her energy, enthusiasm, and
commitment to the needs of students and staff is contagious.
Simply put, I believe you will find the same initiative, energy, and dedication if you interviewand hireMs. Jolley.
Of course, this letter is bittersweet in that it has the potential to create a leadership void at our school, but Ms. Jolley has
demonstrated that she is up for the challenge of being an associate principal. Based on what I have seen from her
leadership, she would be an outstanding candidate for your position and school. If you have any further questions about
Ms. Jolley, please do not hesitate to contact me at 847-888-5100.
Sincerely,
J. Ryan Leist
English/Fine Arts Divisional Chair
Elgin High School
(847) 888-5100 Ext. 5133