College

of Education and Human Services

Department of Teaching and Learning
Voice: 973-655-5407
Fax: 973-655-7043

March 12, 2021

To whom it may concern,

I am pleased to write a letter of recommendation for Sarah Sharp, an exceptional alumni of our
Dual Degree/ Dual Certification Inclusive Elementary Education Program at Montclair State University. I
have known Sarah since 2016. I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning
and the faculty coordinator for the aforementioned Dual Degree/ Dual Certification program.
Additionally, I was Sarah’s instructor for ECSE 439, Pedagogy in the Inclusive Education course during the
fall 2016 semester and ECSE 536, Observation and Assessment of Elementary Aged Children with
Disabilities in the Spring 2017 semester.
In my classes Sarah was an exceptional student and her 3.91 major GPA provide evidence of her
academic abilities. She also was a leader amongst her peers during her time at Montclair State University.
Sarah collaborated well with peers, and with students and families that she worked with in the field.

Since leaving Montclair State, Sarah has shown herself to emerge as the kind of alumni that we
are incredibly proud of. Since her graduation, Sarah has used skills that we hone at Montclair State and
has put them into place in an urban environment. The foundations of our teacher education programs are
to promote inclusivity, and develop teachers with the skills and drive to work in diverse school systems
that support underserve youth. Since Sarah left MSU, she has committed herself to just that. She has
worked in an urban school system and has worked with both ESL students and students with disabilities.
She has been able to implement the skills she gained in our teacher education program, but also grow and
develop her own teaching craft. Some examples of her success include her rating as a highly effective
educator and her appointment on the Superintended Teacher council as they planned for a response to
the coronavirus. Her success and skills developed as an effective teacher in the Newark Public Schools
will undoubtably transfer to her next job.

I believe that due to Sarah having a great deal of experience teaching in diverse, inclusive, and
urban settings, as well as having an excellent academic track record in a very rigorous program that
prepares teachers exceptionally well, she would an immense asset to your school. She is a caring,
committed educator and is well prepared to teach in a range of general education, inclusive or special
education settings. I recommend Sarah for a teaching position without reservation and would be
delighted to speak with you further about her strengths and commitments.

Sincerely,

Jessica Bacon, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Montclair State University
baconj@montclair.edu