May 10, 2015

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing on behalf of Michael Womack, an outstanding English teacher at Lawrence High School, where I
have supervised his work in my capacity as Assistant Principle. In working with Mike at Lawrence and at
Trenton Central High School, where we taught together from 2005-2008, he has never failed to impress me
with his ability to engage students in the classroom, his spirit of collegiality, and his commitment to becoming
an ever better educator. From my perspective as an administrator, these qualities make Mike an excellent
candidate for any English teaching position.
In his classroom, Mike demonstrates passion for teaching and for English literature through interactive,
student-centered lessons and hands-on activities that draw in even the most unresponsive students. He
incorporates the highest curriculum standards as he challenges students to master the content and consider its
relevance for their own lives. Mike has a reputation around the school as a teacher who is effective with
students who are struggling academically, and he spends time tutoring such students in our Destinations After
School program. This is a skill that I watched Mike develop early in his career when he taught in the innercity context of Trenton, New Jersey. There, he became a trusted mentor and role model for at-risk students,
while also bringing them to a higher level of achievement through interactive lessons and one-on-one
instruction. Such capacities have served him well here at Lawrence, and it is because of his exemplary work
in educating the whole student that we considered him an ideal candidate to work with the student teacher
who joined our English department this year.
Both inside and outside of the classroom, Mike demonstrates his commitment to individual students and to
our school community. He is a team player who collaborates not only with other members of our English
department, but also with colleagues outside of his teaching area. For example, this semester he enlisted the
assistance of a Chemistry teacher to simulate the burning of a poem for the sake of beauty, and he partnered
with our Forensic Science teacher and brought both classrooms together to study the crime scenes in
Macbeth. Mike also worked for the good of our school by writing and receiving an education-technology
grant from the Lawrence Township Educational Fund. Beyond this, he has consistently displayed an interest
in our students extra-curricular development as he has coached our cross-country and tennis teams and
sponsored the student newspaper and the community service club. It is because he cares deeply about our
students that Mike has invested much time in his own professional development. Through pedagogical and
English literature trainings he has become a highly effective educator and a resource for other teachers who
often come to him for ideas and assistance.
Mikes move to Atlanta will certainly be a loss to Lawrence High School and an asset to the next school he
joins. Having known Mike for the past ten years as both a colleague and an employee, it is without hesitation
that I recommend him as worthy of your consideration. Please be in touch if I can be of any further assistance.

Sincerely,

Clifford Williams