July 30th, 2017
To whom it may concern:
It has been an absolute pleasure and honor to work with Molly Waterhouse for the last 3 years. She is – without question – the most talented teacher I have worked with in my 13 years as an educator. While it pains me that we are losing her, I take heart knowing that Molly’s gifts for serving kids will be helping students no matter where she goes. Molly is a visionary leader, a meticulous executor, and always the most voracious learner in any room. I have no doubt she will have an incredible impact at whatever school is lucky enough to hire her.
Given Molly’s talents, she has quickly risen to the role of a robust teacher-leader. Not only does she work often with our admin team to give feedback, weigh in on decisions, and help steer the course of our whole school, she also has sole ownership over leading her 6th grade team. In that capacity, Molly runs weekly grade-level meetings that focus on everything from extensive student data review and intervention planning, to team development, to problem solving and taking action in response to the needs of the grade level. Each year Molly sets out a clear vision that she leads her 6th grade staff and students through with energy and power. Molly’s vision has both the potency of deep connectedness and inspiration, along with detailed plans that allow for everyone to own the work and for the vision to be realized and celebrated…not just talked about. As you will learn about Molly as she applies, Molly has the perfect blend of being all about results, but knowing that how she gets those results matters. This past year our 7th grade culture was struggling, and many kids went back to Ms. Waterhouse in the 6th grade looking for her guidance. Additionally, the 7th grade leaders ended up asking Molly to step in and help them reset their culture, which Molly did with incredible grace. As a school leader, I cannot over-state the value Molly adds to my work. She brings every problem to me openly, but always with personal ownership and a desire to seek solutions. She has made me better at my job over the years with her pushes and conversations.
In addition to having a fantastic brain and skills for leading people and big ideas, Molly is also an amazing executor. In her classroom, Molly always has the best culture in the building, and kids have some of the best results. In our network, at the end of each year, we evaluate student data, by teacher, and place people in 3 categories in order to prepare for their development and honor stellar performance. A data means students performed below standard, B data is our largest range and means students performed at standard, and C data is a very small group where students perform well beyond standard. C data is very hard to get, and Molly has gotten all of the last three years. In our network she is deemed a Master Teacher, and this success comes in large part from her indefatigable focus on high quality student learning and relationships in her room. Her plans and execution are incredibly detailed, and she gives tons of feedback to students throughout lessons so that they are always aware of where they are and where they can grow. Molly knows how to wear and manage many hats, and she can always be counted on to set an example for a high bar of personal responsibility and performance.
Finally, Molly is a born learner. Someone with her expertise and noted success could very easily rest on her laurels and not push to get better, yet Molly is always seeking feedback, learning alongside her peers, and seeking out sources to make her practice better. She is full of new ideas every year, and even when she is in a setting where she is clearly the expert, she pushes with great questions and ideas to inspire other’s learning along with her own. One thing I love about how Molly learns is that she shares her learning and experiences with her students. Molly’s kids know that she is a life-long learner, and that inspires them to engage at a deeper level. I am always finding new pockets of capacity in Molly that expand her ability to serve our kids and strengthen our staff, and she loves to grow as a professional. Molly’s insight into people also drives the mindset that she can learn something from anyone – no matter how old or how much experience. This opens people up to her and encourages them to seek deeper understanding in what they do. As an educator, I’m not sure there is a more important skill than being the best at learning in the building, and all of us – students included – love learning with Molly.
Molly will be an irreplaceable force in any organization she joins, and if there are any questions or concerns I can address in promotion of her candidacy, please do not hesitate to reach out using the information below.
Sincerely,
Caroline Elissa Gaudiani
Director, DSST: Green Valley Ranch Middle School
Harvard University, BA
Stanford University, MBA
Pace University, MST
caroline.gaudiani@scienceandtech.org
415-513-2643