To Whom it May Concern, March 17th, 2021

I am delighted to recommend Helen Leshinsky for tenure as an English teacher. Having worked
very closely with Helen as her mentor/coach and fellow English teacher at Jill Chaifetz Transfer
School over the past five years, I feel as though I am in a unique position to comment on her
dedication to our young people, her passion for social justice, her solid planning and preparation
and her effective instructional methods. Helen consistently demonstrates the teaching skills and
relational capacity necessary to positively impact transfer school students and has developed
strong relationships with her students and colleagues. Helen exemplifies the kind of teacher we
need and is truly an asset to our school community.

Helen designs and implements engaging and rigorous outcomes-based courses that align to
learning standards, culturally-sustaining and relevant pedagogy and that reflect student interest
and identity. I have seen Helen layer skill-based lessons on activities that promote student
criticality, furthering the school’s mission to encourage critical thinking, strong academic
discussion and essential literacy skills. In Helen’s classes, students are constantly developing
their literacy skills while also exploring social justice issues that promote equity. Whether
students are exploring implicit bias in a short story or reading about how to dismantle patriarchy
in a nonfiction text, students are engaged in a pursuit of self-discovery and a journey to
understand the world around them. Helen is a meticulous planner, always preparing detailed
lesson course/unit/lesson plans and designing assessments that students find engaging and
rigorous. Helen is constantly searching for the best method to teach a given skill or concept,
often relying on student reflection, input and data to guide her choices. Helen’s planning and
preparation is not just an exercise in her job duties, it demonstrates a passion for the work and a
respect for her students.

In addition to her exemplar planning and preparation, Helen demonstrates the most important
set of skills for a transfer school teacher-relational capacity. Helen understands how essential it
is to build strong, professional relationships with her students. Helen takes the time to listen to
her students, to empathize with their hardships and to motivate them to stay focused and
determined. Helen recognizes the need to build in strong SEL activities into her lessons, turning
the classroom into a place of trust, warmth and comfort. Helen’s students know that they are in
a safe space to share their thoughts and writing and this has helped countless students find
refuge in her classroom and grow both academically and social-emotionally. Even through
remote learning this past year, Helen has found creative ways to retain this positive classroom
culture at a time when students needed it most.

Helen is a dedicated teacher who always takes on a learning stance and constantly seeks to
grow her practice. Helen and I have used our lunch periods over the past few years as planning
sessions for her classes. She does this not because of a requirement, but because she loves to
collaborate, to get feedback and because she wants to deliver her best lessons each and every
day. Helen is a valuable member on any professional team and seeks out opportunities to
collaborate and contribute, whether that’s through the English department, whole-staff
professional development or when engaging in school change initiatives. Helen is always
present, a true team player and a support to her colleagues and her school. Having met with
Helen on weekends and enjoyed many late night calls about curriculum planning, I have no
doubt that Helen is dedicated to professional development and refining her teaching practices.
Her colleagues have come to rely on her presence and expertise.

I have full confidence in my recommendation for Helen Leshinsky to receive tenure.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Michael Wolach
English Teacher/Instructional Coach
Jill Chaifetz Transfer School