1. David Blauch, Assistant Principal
Medford High School
489 Winthrop Street
Medford, MA 02155
781-393-2303
dblauch@medford.k12.ma.us
DearSir/Madam:
I’m pleased to write in recommendation of Kathleen O’Donoghue, a teacher whom I have known
since September 2001 and with whom I have established an enduring professional relationship
over the years. Kathi and I were colleagues in the English and Humanities Departments for a
decade, and in the past three school years she and I have collaborated in several meaningful ways
to enhance student achievement in Medford.
Kathi is a woman of poise and presence, and her personal accomplishments are great;
nonetheless, she is a true champion of the underdog. She knows how to reach the reluctant
learner and the wayward youth. Her eighteen years of experience teaching SPED inclusion
classes—at both the Medford Vocational-Technical High School, and the Andrews Middle
School—have taught her all the important lessons about instruction. As a rule, she utilizes
differentiated, personalized instruction, and she is a master of formative assessment; she ensures
all her students, no matter their needs, stay on board.
Kathi has also spearheaded efforts to organize loosely-bound curriculum into tighter, more
streamlined documents that any teacher could use in his or her own classroom. Several years
ago, when our computer clusters were distributed in groupings of a few workstations per
classroom, Kathi developed a manual for cross-curricular activities using that technology. Also,
she has developed multiple, diverse curriculums for the city, including ones on British Literature,
US History, home-study programs, Summer School, and a Laborers' Union cross-curricular
curriculum.
Given what I know about her strengths, I have Kathi “on call” for virtually every tutoring
opportunity I oversee, including home instruction, preparation for the MCAS test, and summer
enrichment programs. Kathi does an admirable job creating a culture of learning in all her
classrooms, whether they have twenty-five students or just one (as in some of the tutoring she
does). She is always available by email, text, or phone, skillfully balancing the demands of her
busy full-time teaching job and her family.
Please contact me if you have any further questions.
Sincerely,
David Blauch