Cara L.

Jurus
Alta Vista Early College High School
100 Shrode Rd.
Anthony, NM 88021
575-496-3497

April 4, 2019
To Whom it May Concern:
I consider it a great honor to write on behalf of Jessica Schaid. I have worked
with Jessica since the Fall Semester of 2013, when she was my New Mexico State University
Supervisor for Alternative Licensure and Instructional Coach at Gadsden High School. I have
had the opportunity to work closely with Jessica on many district and school teams and in
implementing school initiatives.
As a professor, Jessica sincerely cared about my future as a teacher and in the
classroom I have seen her exhibit the same sincerity. She is very motivated to provide
differentiated support to ensure the success of each of her students with the wealth of ideas and
skills she can innately “pull from her toolbox”.
When working with adults, she possesses the ability to listen deeply to all points of view,
question and clarify for true understanding, reflect and then articulately summarize for the
group. She skillfully takes in lots of information, clears the clutter and then shares it in a way
that makes sense to her colleagues. This leads to meaningful problem solving and effective
decision-making.
During collaborative team meetings, Jessica demonstrates excellent facilitation skills.
She provides structures and guidance to help her fellow teachers actively engage in shared and
valuable work. She gently probes and questions in a way that pushes the team to higher levels
of thinking. Her guidance has helped teachers effectively look at student work and also review
screening and progress monitoring data in order to make deliberate instructional decisions.
Jessica genuinely respects the teachers that she works with and they very much respect her.
Jessica’s interpersonal skills are a huge asset for our district. She is highly skilled at
building relationships with the students and the adults in Gadsden’s learning community. She
cares deeply about the people that she works with. She has high expectations for herself and
the students and teachers that she works with. She would be a wonderful addition to the
Rochester Public School Community.

Sincerely,

Cara Jurus  

Cara Jurus
Teacher ​Alta Vista Early College High School