irre.

org
PO Box 11 | Adelphia, NJ 07710-0011

April 14, 2018

To Whom It May Concern:

I met Janis Bellon as an applicant for an English Language Arts teaching position at Lee High School in Houston,
Texas. Janis distinguished herself with her energy, contagious enthusiasm and commitment to the success of
children in urban schools. Ms. Bellon was offered a permanent teaching position at Lee High School and joined
the faculty in Fall 2006.

During her years at Lee, she consistently demonstrated her skills as an instructor as well as her passionate
advocacy and unwavering commitment to meeting the academic, social and emotional needs of urban youth.
Janis taught English Language Arts to economically disadvantaged, minority, second-language learners – many
who were recent immigrants to the United States. She developed a classroom environment and a culture of
learning that encouraged and supported her students' efforts. Janis’s perseverance and willingness to try new
ideas enabled her children to succeed and strengthen their self-confidence. Through her leadership, her
students pushed and encouraged each other to be motivated, persistent learners. Her continuous efforts with
her students provided evidence that all children can learn.

Janis was highly motivated to increase her knowledge and continually participated in opportunities to improve
her skills through workshops and independent study. She studied effective pedagogies for second language
learners, earned her ESL Endorsement and moved to an ESL English Language Arts position in 2008. She sought
out and shared practical instructional strategies from fellow teachers and administrators. Janis effectively and
eagerly collaborated with her peers in planning, teaching and assessing student progress. Her ability to work
with and learn from others and her thoughtful application and evaluation of her work were exemplary.

Janis’s talents as an instructor and her ability to work with her peers enabled her to have a tremendous impact
on students. I recommend her with the highest confidence that her skills as a learner and a teacher will be a
great asset to your students.

If I can be of any service or provide additional information, please contact me.

Sincerely,

Steven Amstutz
Principal (Retired)

Director, Measuring What Matters

Steve.amstutz@irre.org

seamstutz@gmail.com
713 201 3825