To Whom It May Concern,

It is with great pleasure that I recommend Mikayla Wilcox for a teaching position at your school. I met
Mikayla in February 2021 when she was assigned to be my student teacher. During this time, I was
teaching fourth and fifth grade special education students in the Remote Learning Program in the
Acton-Boxborough Regional School District. The Remote Learning Program is a unique fully virtual
elementary school that was created for the 2020-2021 school year for families that decided to have their
children learn remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to over 800 students being enrolled in this
option, the district designated a full time staff and administrative team to serve these students.

During Mikayla’s practicum, she assumed the responsibilities of my caseload which consisted of students
with moderate disabilities that required specially designed instruction to access the general education
curriculum. Mikayla spent 100 hours in the takeover position developing lessons and providing IEP
services in English Language Arts and Mathematics. As a Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner, I also
demonstrated and gave opportunities for Mikayla to deliver a multisensory phonics program that is an
evidenced based practice for decoding/encoding, fluency, and comprehension. In addition to academic
support, she provided essential support for students with executive functioning challenges. When she was
not giving direct instruction, Mikayla met individually with general educators and service providers for
consultation about specific student needs and joined the grade level collaboration meetings to discuss
curriculum and accommodations. As a part of her practicum, Mikayla expertly designed a unit on theme
that simultaneously complimented the general education curriculum and targeted IEP goals. Mikayla
participated in the special education process by implementing response to intervention, collecting data,
and attending annual and evaluation IEP meetings.

Most importantly, Mikayla has a natural ability to foster a safe learning environment in which students
feel valued and supported to meet high expectations. An outstanding educator understands that the key to
success in this profession is developing meaningful relationships with students. Specifically, special
educators instruct students in the area of their disabilities which they often feel less confident and may
develop work avoidance due to their difficulties. Therefore, possessing a strong relationship with their
teacher is paramount. It increases the student’s motivation and promotes academic risk taking since they
feel comfortable making mistakes and growing from them. This is especially significant in the remote
environment in which student engagement is a greater challenge. Mikayla skillfully built relationships by
getting to know each student’s interests which she weaved into lessons and using humor to make learning
enjoyable. She was always well-prepared and professional in every aspect of her role. As her supervising
practitioner, I am confident that Mikayla’s enthusiasm, dedication, organization, and knowledge of
student needs will be an asset to your school.

Sincerely,

Courtney Clergé, M.Ed. W.D.P

Special Educator
McCarthy-Towne School
Acton-Boxborough Public Schools