COLLINS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Forest Hills Public Schools

Mitchell C. Balingit, Principal Daniel Behm, Superintendent

4368 Heather Lane SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 Phone: 616-493-8900 Fax 616-493-8909 6590 Cascade Road, SE
Grand Rapids, MI, 49546
Phone: 1.616.493.8800
www.fhps.net

To Whom it may concern: December 2016

I have had the privilege to have had Jessica Ackley as my MSU student intern the fall of 2016 as a
special education teacher. I would highly recommend her as a teacher in any capacity, but
specifically as a special education teacher, as she has the uncanny ability to determine students
needs quickly, teach to the students needs as well as establishing positive relationships with those
students under her care.

Under her guidance and instruction, she helped students excel as she had high expectations
and consistency in her teaching. While she worked at Collins Elementary, she was able to work
with students that had learning disabilities in reading decoding and comprehension, emotional
impairments, POHI, and ASD. No matter the disability, she was able to engage students. As she
taught and honed her teaching skills she continually looked for ways to engage students and better
her own teaching skills. I noticed that Jessica was observant and thoughtful in her teaching, her
lesson planning and assessments of students. During her assessments she monitored student
achievement informally and formally. In her capacity at Collins she also was responsible for setting
up a positive behavior system that changed negative student behavior into positive behavior. She
increased the technology usage of students during a reading comprehension unit where she modeled
thinking strategies while reading Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. During the specific reading unit on
Hatchet she was able to track progress using technology.

It is my professional opinion that Jessica would make an excellent addition to any district, as she
has demonstrated competence in teaching, student rapport and got along well with staff and
administration. It is my privilege to recommend her for a teaching position in your district.
If you have any questions, please call or email me.

Sincerely,

Judy Clark
Special Education Teacher, Collins Elementary
jclark@fhps.net
616-493-8079