BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Charlestown High School

William Thomas, Headmaster
Christophe Teulet-Cote, Assistant Headmaster
Jean Hodgkins, Director of Special Education
Christine Hall, Director of Mathematics and Special Programs

Jennifer Winsor, Director of Supervision and Evaluation

Kati Delahanty, Director of Instruction
Sung-Joon Pai, Director of ELL and Diploma Plus

July 3rd, 2015

To Whom It May Concern:
It is my pleasure to write a letter of recommendation for Lilli Meier. I met Lilli in January of this school year when we
hired her to take over the ELA 11 and AP Lange courses for a teacher who needed to go out on medical leave. We are
very grateful that she was able to join our ELA team at Charlestown High School mid year. And though we interviewed
many candidates for this position, I knew instantly that we made the right choice in hiring Lilli because within five
minutes she was asking questionsall the right questionsabout how to best serve her new students. She wanted to
talk about the big picture (curriculum, the scope and sequence, and which standards to address) and the day-to-day
realities (the logistics of meetings and what the students schedules will be like). She didnt want to miss a single detail,
and this is what I respect most about Lilli. She wants to learn. She wants to question. She wants to take it all in. And
she wants to foster that curiosity and love for learning in her students.
As the leader of the ELA team, I get to learn with Lilli frequently. We worked together in our weekly meetings and bi
monthly professional development sessions. During these meetings, I watched Lilli interact with the other teachers on
our team in small group discussions. She was a leader in these discussions, always willing to share her ideas and to
bring the group back on track when they started to lose focus. I appreciate the attention she gave our work and her
willingness to share her thinking aloud. Its also important to note that Lilli didnt have to attend these meetings, but she
did, every time, because she valued learning with her colleagues and she clearly respects what it means to work on a
team.
Teaching is messy work; there are so many moving parts, and its hard to keep things organized. Lilli did a remarkable
job keeping things in order. She kept her lesson plans (which were thoughtfully designed around complex and relevant
texts) and calendars up to date, she gave feedback and returned student work in a timely manner, she met all of the
deadlines for our ELA teams work, and she kept her physical space clutter free. She did this while meeting all the
demands of a 120-student workload that she came into midyear! I trust that she will bring this same level of
competence, commitment, and dedication to your students and school too.
To close, I cant say enough about how impressed I am by Lillis love for learning, her willingness to share her thinking,
and her passion for teaching young people. She was a valuable member of our school community, and I have no doubt
that she will have a powerful impact on your school as well. We are sorry to lose her. Please feel free to email or call
me. Im more than happy to talk more about Lilli and/or answer any questions.
Sincerely,
Kati Delahanty
Director of Instruction, Charlestown High School
(857) 225-1210
kdelahanty@bostonpublicschools.org
Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world - Nelson Mandela

240 MEDFORD STREET, CHARLESTOWN, MA 02129 TEL: (617) 635-9914 FAX: (617) 635-9928

Education is the most powerful weapon you 2

can use to change the world Nelson Mandela

240 MEDFORD STREET, CHARLESTOWN, MA 02129*TEL(617)635-9914 * FAX:(617)635-9928