Prpil

Dear Mr. McKenna,

Class Measures asked that I assist you in your Massachusetts Teacher Certification efforts. I have included a brief description of my background, experience, and interests for your information. I ask that you provide me with (a) a professional resume, (b) the days and times when it would be convenient to speak and meet with you, and (c) an email address and telephone number where I may reach you.

I have received information from Class Measures stating that you teach English in grades eight through twelve in Boston. I hope that the email address that I am using for this communication is accurate and appropriate. I would also remind you that a draft portfolio is required to be submitted before the first observation. However, we will be able to review the requirements further when we discuss a tentative schedule for the observations.

Since, in the coming months, I will be most interested in you and your work toward achieving Massachusetts certification through the Class Measures Program, I would like to provide you with a little information about me. Throughout the course of thirty-nine successful years of experience as a classroom teacher, department chair, K-12 administrator, community school director, curriculum coordinator, graduate program developer, course writer, editor, undergraduate and graduate level faculty, I have facilitated programs that offered myriad avenues of success for students, teachers, and administrative staff. I initiated legislation to support accomplished teaching through state recognition and support of National Board Certified Teachers. Because of efforts at the local, district, state, and national levels, I introduced and implemented professional staff development programs that included applications of scientifically based research as mandated in NCLB, federally funded grants to states, content and curriculum presentations, teacher summer externships, project-based curriculum, school-business partnerships, school and district leadership training, technology research, National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) candidate support, and NBPTS Targeted resume writing High Needs Initiative (THNI) program facilitation for teachers across broad PK-12 subject fields. I have been an assessor for the NBPTS in Princeton, NJ, and the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, DC.

My advocacy for and interventions within education have provided me with numerous unique experiences including—two invitations to meet the President of the United States; requests as a scholarship recipient to participate and lead sessions at successive

International Conferences for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School (2 times); presentation of my research at the White House by a major international corporation in support of technology in education (1 of only 3 U.S. studies selected); appointment as State Team Leader lobbying for educational finance support and reform in Washington, DC; and, collaboration with Howard Gardner and researchers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in the application of the GoodWorks Toolkit (study of student morality, responsibility, and ethics); among others.

For over thirty years, I have authored, edited, and contributed to books, journal articles, published interviews, educational websites, and graduate-level course designs across a wide spectrum of content areas including:

· Improving the Quality of Teaching Through National Board Certification/ Christopher Gordon Publishers.

· Whitewater Leadership: A Handbook for Educational Leaders and Policymakers/ SERVE, Regional Educational Laboratory for the Southeast-Publisher.

Presently, I teach in advanced graduate and doctoral programs in the Fischler School of Education and Human Services at Nova Southeastern University. I chair several doctoral dissertation committees and I am a member of several others. I have also remained active writing, representing, and presenting for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards at national conferences and for various publications.

On a more personal note—I am married to an internationally recognized quilt artist whose works have been widely published and exhibited. One of my two daughters is a graphic designer in Boston, and the other daughter is an art teacher in Brockton. I enjoy sailing, kayaking, skiing with my wife (she is also a ski instructor), playing guitar, building things, and riding my Ducati motorcycle.

I am excited to be involved in this opportunity to represent Class Measures and to assist you with your certification efforts. Once again, I ask that you please provide me with contact information so that we may discuss your current plans. I look forward to meeting and working with you in the near future as well as learning more about you and how I may assist you in achieving your goal. And, most important, I wish you the very best!

Sincerely,

Dr. Matthew M. Delaney, NBCT

59 Crabtree Lane

Abington, MA 02351

TEL (781) 871-3125

CELL (781) 718-2804

artmd59@yahoo.com