Maria J. Coolican, Ph.D.

Educational Studies

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

610 E. UNIVERSITY AVE., ROOM 1228

ANN ARBOR, MI 48109
734.417.6806
mariajc@umich.edu

25 April 2020
Re: Kailyn Stahl

To Whom It May Concern:

I am asked quite often to write letters of recommendation for students. These

students are usually either looking for teaching jobs or applying to graduate
school, and I can typically offer praise for the majority of them, and high praise
for a few very special students. In the case of Kailyn Stahl, however, I can
offer not only high praise, but the very highest. Kailyn is a bright, passionate,
self-directed and unusually mature teacher who will add immeasurably to your
faculty.

Kailyn was one of my students in the Educational Leadership and Policy

master’s program here at the University of Michigan, and she consistently
performed at a level of excellence that I rarely see. Kailyn chose the most
challenging courses, she sought out an intensive internship, and she
consistently reached out to faculty to discuss new ideas and issues in
education. Speaking as a faculty member and as a former school principal, I
can say without reservation that we need more leaders like Kailyn in our K-12
system. She is a superb coach of other teachers; she is persuasive and
collaborative in her approach to change; she provides excellent feedback to her
peers; and, she is able to toggle back and forth effortlessly between working
independently on a project and working in collaboration with others.

Kailyn’s scholarship is of the highest quality. While completing work in our

master’s program, Kailyn consistently exceeded the standards for her papers
and projects. She is a very good writer; has analytical skills that allow her to
discuss the affordances and challenges of various ideas; she knows how to
access, cite and argue using the appropriate literature; and, she is very adept
at engaging in work that will result in tangible change at the school level.
One of my informal barometers for teachers is whether I would feel comfortable
having my own children in a given teacher’s classroom. Not only would I feel
comfortable having my children in Kailyn’s classroom, I would fight to make it
happen. Kailyn is a rare combination of teacher and scholar, and if we could
fill our classrooms with teachers like Kailyn, we would be the envy of the world.
Kailyn is, above all else, world class.

The decision to hire someone at a school is a decision about furthering their

quality of teaching and learning, and investing in someone who will build upon
your school culture. Motivated, self-directed, and boasting of what I would
term a fierce curiosity and unyielding grit, Kailyn will be one of the most
powerful faculty members in your school. Hire her before someone else does!

Sincerely,

Maria J. Coolican, Ph.D.