April 9, 2015

To Whom It May Concern:

I had the great pleasure of meeting Josh Schulhoff as he entered the Educational Leadership and
Policy Studies graduate program with the University of Richmond. We have worked together since
January of 2013. Josh was a student in the Foundations of Educational Leadership and Leadership
Seminar I and II courses I teach in the masters program. Leadership Seminars I and II include full
class instruction and a total of 170 hours of internship experience in the field.
The Foundations course is intended to encourage a deep theoretical understanding of leadership and
its implications for education. As an introductory class, students explore leadership theory and
personalize the work by establishing a theoretical basis for their own leadership in education. Josh
and his group created a powerful environment of energized and informed discussions. Our class met
in the evening, after a full workday for all students, and this group was so invested in their discussion
that we often stayed well beyond the end of the three-hour class to continue conversation. Josh was
an active part of this level of discussion and often served as a strong leadership voice within the
group. Josh is insightful; he cuts right to the heart of discussion and does so with a very real, funny,
poignant edge to his perspective. It is clear that he is in his element when discussing the power of
education. Josh sets a very high bar for his graduate school peers they know it and love the
interaction and he is terrifically human and accessible in the process. He never loses sight of the
moral and ethical roles of educators.
Josh brought a similar level of energy to his Seminar I and II coursework and internship experiences.
When he was in class or in the field, Josh was fully present and engaged. It was interesting to see
his positive influence on the thoughtful pace of a group while in class or online discussion. Class time
for him is never about ticking off a series of experiences so he can go home. Class time is about
thinking, discussing, questioning, learning, and problem solving. Josh has an engaged intellect. His
brain consistently fires at this level.
Through his internship, Josh exceeded all expectations. He almost doubled the required hours and
continues to support the work of his mentors and their organizations. His work is always top-notch,
detailed, and completed early. You have to hustle to keep up with Josh. One mentor noted that Josh
performed above and beyond to create and meet his goals. I like the use of the word create in that
description because the vast majority of interns solicit perfectly valid experiences, but often they are
useful experiences to supplement the interns current roles, not necessarily deep experiences. Joshs
internship planning was very different he reached beyond and carefully sought new roles and
venues. Josh was able to step into completely unknown turf and relate to people, issues, and goals,
instantly becoming a part of the team. Josh seeks and accepts advice and guidance on a regular basis.
He knows what he knows, yet will easily reach out for additional perspectives it is refreshing to see
that he is not afraid to do so. Mentors quickly noted Joshs ability to understand their complex
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Program
School of Professional and Continuing Studies
28 Westhampton Way
University of Richmond, VA 23173
(804) 289-8427 Fax (804) 287-6369

situations and immediately step in as support. For example Josh was encouraged to reach out to the
Commonwealth Educational Policy Institute. This simply was in a go see what they do capacity.
Before we knew it, he was planning a presentation for and shadowing the director at the General
Assembly, studying survey data and writing policy survey questions for the CEPI public opinion poll.
Josh is highly successful in education. In a school of 1600+ students and 100+ colleagues, his peers
named him in 2011 as Teacher of the Year. In addition, he has served as an administrative aide,
technology trainer, Professional Learning Community (PLC) leader, class sponsor, and teacher
mentor. He holds French PreK-12 and English as a Second Language Pre-K-12 teaching licenses, is
fluent in French, and is a May graduate with a masters degree in Educational Leadership and Policy
Studies at University of Richmond.
Josh has a highly eclectic background and set of interests. He possesses an international perspective
that enhances his life experiences as well as what he provides for his students. He has a bigger,
broader view of the world than most. It is also impressive to note his powerful business and medical
professional roles. This history leads me to believe that Josh can lead in a wide variety of settings.
His skill set is impressive.
I have worked with hundreds of graduate educational leadership students for the past 13 years as an
adjunct instructor with the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University and now as
full-time faculty for University of Richmond. I can honestly tell you that in that significant crowd,
Josh is easily a top five-percenter. I can see the incredible potential Josh has for leading educators,
education and change. As he dedicates his creative and focused intellect to educating children it will
be a boon for schools.
Josh Schulhoff is an energetic, observant, wildly creative, and intelligent person. He understands
teaching, learning, leading and engagement. I think that while I have seen an impressive
representation of Josh, we likely have seen only the tip of the iceberg. I am excited by his potential
and confident that he will make a real difference in education. I gladly recommend Josh Schulhoff to
you for consideration for a leadership role. He would be a win for your schools.
Sincerely,

K M Cassada
Kate M. Cassada, Ed.D
Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership & Curriculum and Instruction
University of Richmond
(804) 289-8754 (office)
(804) 399-0854 (cell)
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Program
School of Professional and Continuing Studies
28 Westhampton Way
University of Richmond, VA 23173
(804) 289-8427 Fax (804) 287-6369