To Whom It May Concern,

I have known Casey Rich for the past three years as the Assistant Principal of Legacy College
Prep. In my role of teacher leadership development, I have had many opportunities to see
Casey in the classroom, and on multiple occasions, have observed him facilitate meaningful
student discourse. Casey prioritizes strong student discourse in his classroom because he
values student voice and interaction, knowing that our students learn just as much from each
other as they do from their classroom leader.

To facilitate meaningful student discourse, Casey has developed structures that provide access,
equity of voice, and rigor. He creates access for all students to contribute by asking questions in
a variety of ways, often allowing students to pre-write their thinking to ensure that more
introverted students have a starting point for discussion. His questions often draw upon previous
schema, opinion, recent learnings, or predictions so that students have had time to engage in
the material. The questions that students grapple with often build in depth and act as a bridge to
future learning, which creates an urgency around learning that maintains rigor and engagement
in the course.

To ensure equity, Casey has created specific roles for group discussion that rotate to give all
scholars an opportunity to contribute in different ways throughout the year. He scaffolds his
introduction to these protocols and gives students time to practice to ensure they are
maximizing the intent of these structures. He has also created a safe environment for inquiry in
his classroom, so students are not surprised or shut down if they are called at random to
contribute within their group or the larger classroom space.

The work that Casey has done with promoting student discourse has served as learning for
teachers within our campus and the larger network. The Director of Academics for our network
has recorded several sessions of Casey’s World History class to provide snapshots of his
teacher moves for professional development. I am grateful for the strong learning environment
that Mr. Rich has created in his classroom each year at Legacy.

Sincerely,

Fonda Held
Assistant Principal, Legacy College Prep
Ednovate Network