Sarah Gilman

Employee # 732877 sgilman@lausd.net

(626)422-4791
Dear Principal Selection Committee,
2015

June 26,

It is with great enthusiasm that I submit this letter of intent and resume for the position of
Elementary Principal at Dorris Place Elementary. I come to this position with a Masters
Degree in Educational Leadership, eleven years of classroom experience, two years as an
Instructional Coach and Intervention Coordinator, and two years as an administrator,
designing and coordinating robust educational technology professional development for
teachers at 101 schools. Each of these roles have uniquely shaped me as an educator and
prepared me for this critical leadership role.
In the years I served as a classroom teacher, my work with students in grades Kindergarten
through Sixth Grade, established a deep pedagogical foundation, and allowed me to refine my
ability to match teaching strategies to the needs of students, including English Language
Learners, Students with Disabilities and Gifted and Talented students. I applied my
comprehensive knowledge of the Response to Intervention and Instruction process to develop
targeted instructional plans based on specific needs, incremental goal setting and progress
monitoring. I was able to see significant gains in student achievement each year based on CST
data.
In my two years as an Instructional Coach and Intervention Coordinator I was instrumental in
developing a collaborative culture of professional learning. First, I provided guidance and
structures for grade level teams to analyze student achievement data, establish goals to
improve student achievement, develop and plan differentiated lessons to accommodate the
learning modalities of all students and utilize lesson study as a means for improving
instructional practice. Additionally, I included parents as partners by facilitating parent
workshops on comprehension strategies, fluency, conceptual mathematical understanding and
critical thinking. I also trained and monitored parent volunteers who assisted struggling
readers within the school with weekly fluency practice and progress monitoring. As a result of
this work, more than 75% of the students identified at Below Basic or Far Below Basic in
Language arts in grades 4-6 had made significant progress on the CST and no longer qualified
for Tier 3 intervention support.
In 2012, I joined the staff at Melrose STEAM Magnet as a Fifth Grade Teacher. Melrose had
achieved monumental success through the strategic use of 1:1 technology, engineering and
exceptional instructional practice. I thrived in this culture of collaboration and creative,
innovative teaching and learning. I designed a true blended learning environment. In my
classroom, students used digital tools to engage in project based learning, gather and
evaluate information, interact and collaborate with peers and publish exemplary work using
digital portfolios. Students also worked independently on web-based personalized learning
systems to hone specific skills. The use of technology not only opened the door for
collaboration, communication, and critical thinking like never before, it also allowed me as the
instructional leader to make use of real-time data to construct appropriate learning
experiences for all students. I paint this picture of a 21st Century learning environment

Sarah Gilman
Employee # 732877 sgilman@lausd.net
(626)422-4791
because I believe the classroom should be a place where students are highly engaged in realworld learning and creative problem solving. As the instructional leader at Dorris Place, I
envision this kind of learning for every student.
In my current position as a Specialist with the Instructional Technology Initiative, I have had
the opportunity to apply my leadership skills on a much larger scale. The vision of the
Instructional Technology Initiative is to provide the tools and resources that will empower
school communities to effectively integrate technology and Common Core instruction.
Specifically, my leadership has been essential to the coordination, development and delivery
of instructional technology professional development. Our work is deeply rooted in Common
Core State Standards, EGDC, teacher needs, data, creative risk taking, collaboration and input
from a variety of perspectives. As a result of my supervision and leadership our team has
accomplished the following:
Development of a system of PD courses that emphasizes effective Common Core instruction,
project based learning and demonstration of practical ways in which technology can enhance
and redefine teaching and learning.
Highly successful delivery of PD to several thousand LAUSD educators, resulting in favorable
evaluations with an average of 70-80% of participants stating they are confident in their ability
to apply what they have learned.
Development of an instructional technology plan template and accompanying course (online
or face-to-face) designed to strengthen the capacity of the instructional leadership team as
they create a comprehensive plan for integrating technology into instruction. The plan and
course address vision, leadership and change, instruction goals, professional learning, digital
citizenship, and parents and community members as partners. Our recent 4-day institute was
attended by 23 school instructional leadership teams and received outstanding reviews. This
proved to be a beautiful demonstration of shared leadership at its best. I look forward to
sharing more about this in person.
I am an empathetic, diligent, focused leader. In addition to these qualities, I believe the
following make me the perfect candidate for Principal at Dorris Place Elementary.
Innovative and Visionary Leadership - I am deeply committed to creating
experiences that expand my own thinking as well as that of my team. It is imperative
that the school community stays on the cutting edge of educational research and
resources in order to meet the needs of all students. We must have the courage to
dream big!
Ability to build a culture of trust, risk-taking and collaboration - Success is
dependent on the courageous leadership of all stakeholders. This means all members
of the school community (teachers, parents and students) must understand that their
voices are essential.
Focus on professional Learning - I have extensive experience designing and
delivering professional learning experiences that directly impact classroom instruction.
Driven by data to measure success- I am very skilled at analyzing raw data and
identifying patterns and trends to make purposeful decisions around instruction and
curriculum.
Solid Instructional Foundation - Above all, I have a deep understanding of Common
Core, 21st Century Learning key factors, the EL Master Plan and EGDC as a means to
support classroom rigor.

Sarah Gilman
Employee # 732877 sgilman@lausd.net
(626)422-4791
I enthusiastically look forward to meeting with you to discuss the opportunity of bringing my
unique qualifications and experiences to the Dorris Place school community.

Sincerely,

Sarah Gilman