Luke Johnson 

Room 302 
Burlington Community High School 
Luke.Johnson@bcsds.org 
(319) 753-2211 x1302 
 
16 February, 2020 
 
To whom it may concern, 
 
It is my pleasure to recommend David Ruehs for the administrative position at your school district. David has been 
an invaluable addition to the Burlington Community School District, and I have had the good fortune to work 
closely with him throughout his role in the district as Associate Principal. 
 
In his administrative position, David has worked with the district’s most challenging students each day. He 
demonstrates a unique capacity to adhere rigidly to the policies of the district when enforcing behavioral or 
academic consequences, yet always ensures the students he works with understand the relationship between their 
actions and these outcomes. David has shown an unwavering commitment not just toward maintaining strong 
rapport with each of the students he oversees at the high school, but also toward our high school’s initiatives and 
events that form the cornerstone of our school’s culture. As David has served primarily as the liaison for freshman 
students, I have seen David implement and lead such initiatives as: the Freshman Boot Camp, in which David has 
helped incoming 9th grade students find interesting courses, teachers, and activities to prepare them for their 
upcoming school year; the Freshman Success Team, which David facilitates and which has significantly reduced the 
D’s and F’s earned by freshman students as they adjust to their transition into high school; and Authentic 
Intellectual Work (A.I.W.) groups of high school teachers and administrators, in which David models processes for 
evaluating the rigor of classroom assessments and offers feedback for improving these assessments. 
 
David’s involvement with these successful initiatives at Burlington Community High School places him more often 
alongside teachers or in the hallways than in the office. His presence, to staff and students, is invariably kind and 
accommodating, and he is frequently finding time in his day to both fulfill his administrative responsibilities as well 
as brighten someone’s day. David has made me aware of and helped foster leadership qualities in myself that have 
enabled me to excel in my various roles at the high school. Despite his extensive background as a math teacher, he 
provided invaluable help to me, an English teacher, and to many teachers of all other disciplines in the 
implementation of the Open Response writing process, a district initiative to systemically improve the literacy of 
each student. 
 
While it is difficult to know that David Ruehs will be moving on from Burlington Community School District, it is 
through the indelible mark that he has impressed upon our district’s staff, students, and culture that we will find 
comfort in the certainty of another district and school improving under his leadership. As an innovative leader and 
a strategic team member, David Ruehs is a clear fit for the role of administrator at your school. 
 
If there are any questions about the consideration of David for this opportunity, please do not hesitate to contact 
me by phone or by email. 
 
Sincerely, 
 
Luke Johnson