April 11, 2016

To Whom It May Concern:

I am both saddened and excited to recommend Wayne Russell for a leadership position in your
school. I will mourn the departure of this energetic, visionary teacher and leader at Concordia
but I have no doubt that future schools will benefit from his many talents.
I have worked with Wayne for three years at Concordia International School Shanghai. As the ES
Instructional Coach, I worked closely with Wayne while he was a 4th grade teacher, observing him
teach in the classroom multiple times and working alongside him during team meetings.

Wayne is an excellent fourth grade teacher. He has a knack for assessment, knowing what
students need and when they need it. While he loves curricular goals and using data to
direct his instructional choices, he knows that the process to get there differs for each
student. Wayne never shies away from this daunting task of differentiation but embraces it
as a joy of teaching. Taking both interest and need into consideration, Wayne tailors
instruction to meet the needs of the diverse learners in his class.
Wayne has a contagiously can-do attitude. His fourth graders are impassioned readers and
writers and mathematicians and scientists because Wayne inspires them to be so. Though
his eyes are always on the standards, Wayne embraces serendipitous moments of learning
stopping everything to write a persuasive letter for a class cause, etc. Wayne achieves the
balance of standards-driven and kid-centered teaching.
Waynes impact doesnt end at the door of his classroom. He has an entrepreneurial spirit.
He is not one to sit back when he sees a need, nor is he one to complain. Wayne sees
problems as opportunities; he is quick to think of a solution, create a plan, and rally people
together to achieve it. The longer Wayne is at Concordia, the more instrumental he becomes
in affecting lasting, institutional change. He has spearheaded a group to bring more focus
and intention to elementary morning assemblies; he has worked with me, in my current
Curriculum Director role, to revise the way K-8 student data is presented to teachers and
heighten its usability for teaching and learning; he has created behavior management videos
to provide practical, Concordia-specific professional development for new teaching
assistants. Just as he rallies fourth grade students towards achievement, he rallies groups of
teachers towards change and improvement.
With a mix of humor, wisdom, and work ethic, Wayne is effective in moving students, teams, and
divisions forward. In hiring Wayne, youre hiring wisdom and experience. He knows content; he
knows assessment and instruction; he knows leadership; he knows kids. More importantly,
Wayne never shies away from hard work; he creates paths and systems where none exist; he
inspires others students and colleagues to move forward in tangible ways. Wayne will leave a
legacy at Concordia and he would be an asset to any school.
Sincerely,
Erin Lillis Kent
PK-12 Director of Curriculum and Assessment
Concordia International School Shanghai