Theodore Roosevelt High School

4419 Center Street

Des Moines, Iowa 50312-2299
(515) 242-7272
Kevin G. Biggs, Principal
Joseph M. Blazevich, Vice Principal
Douglas E. Calaway, Vice Principal
Tascha J. Brown, School Improvement Leader

Fax: (515) 242-7350

Erika L. Ramirez, School Improvement Leader
J. Kelley Hood, Activities Administrator
Julie A. Spencer, Registrar
Dona M. Adcock, Executive Secretary

To whom it may concern,

My name is Elizabeth Sheridan and I am an English and Theatre instructor at Theodore Roosevelt High
School in Des Moines, IA. I have had the pleasure of serving as the cooperating teacher and mentor to Ms. Morgan
Reid during the fall of 2014. It is with great pleasure and an honest belief in her abilities that I recommend Ms. Reid
for the open teaching position at your school.
Roosevelt is a unique institution that serves a very diverse body of learners. We serve the widest range of
students on the socioeconomic scale in the Des Moines Metro area. We also serve a wide range of races,
ethnicities, and English Language Learners. My teaching assignment had Ms. Reid working with one section the
Introduction to theatre, two sections of general education English III, two sections of co-taught English III that
support special education students with reading or written language goals in the IEPs, and a section of co-taught
English III for the English Language Learner. Each section posed its unique language challenges and required strong
collaborative planning to meet the needs of each unique student. Ms. Reid started the semester as an integral part
of our planning and collaboration team. She has extensive knowledge of strategies that will engage a wide variety
of learners and has demonstrated a strong ability to differentiate based on student needs.
Roosevelt, as part of the district initiative, is implementing Standards Referenced Grading in its 9th grade
classrooms. I have been using this system for the last two years ahead of the district initiative. Morgan worked
extensively with the Common Core and establishing the culture of by student by standard. She planned,
implemented, and assessed units based on argumentative writing, determining authors point of view, and how
authors utilize different types of figurative to create implied meaning. All of these units needed to have scaffolding
to support our special education and ELL populations. She was present to lead our fall conferences and inform
parents of their students progress on the skills we were reporting. I also serve as a member of our building RTI
(response to intervention) committee where Morgan has sat in, observed, and reflected. We are systematically
trying to develop interventions for struggling students at the building, department, and teacher levels. Morgan has
taken part in those conversations, helping to brainstorm and develop targeted instruction and building level
supports.
I am sorry to lose Ms. Reid as a co-teacher and collaborator when she graduates. Her warm personality and
professional attitude have made her a great partner this semester. She has an ability to relate to students in an
energetic and personal way that encourages student success. Her ability to reflect and adapt quickly have separated
her from other student teachers.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Sheridan

Theodore Roosevelt High School Is A Professional Learning Community

Committed To The Success Of Every Student.