About

To whom it may concern:

I am very pleased and honored to write this letter of commendation for Vance Holmes who would be a perfect addition to your staff as an English/Language Arts and Theater/Drama Club advisor/teacher. Not only would he excel in the classroom in closing the achievement gap, but he has the professional and academic experience and skill in theater to build a top notch theater arts program.

Vance is a very accomplished performing arts professional who came to Metropolitan State to earn his teaching licensure. He already has two degrees, earned a 4.0 at Metro, and has developed an award-winning electronic portfolio. I have known Vance for three years as an instructor and advisor while he was taking courses in the Urban Teacher Program and I can safely say that, in 15 years of preparing pre-service teachers for the profession, he ranks at the top.

Vance is deeply committed to and demonstrates excellence. He is extremely intelligent, creative and hard working. He is greatly and widely respected by his peers and his instructors. He inspires me and he will inspire your students. Tragically, there are so few African American male teachers overall and an even smaller percentage who are teaching English/Language Arts. Because of his demonstrated excellence and the fact that he is African American, I can only think of Vance as the top teaching prospect among all teacher candidates in Minnesota in 2012-13, and I'm confident the school to make him the best offer will not be disappointed.

Sincerely,

Paul Spies, Ph.D
Professor, Urban Teacher Program

To whom it may concern:

I write in order to share my perceptions of Vance Holmes, a graduate student in two of my courses (Teaching Language Arts in Urban Secondary Schools and Teaching Communications and Writing in Urban Secondary Schools) during 2011-12 at Metropolitan State University. My remarks are influenced by my eight years as a professor, eight years as an urban high school teacher, five years consulting with school districts, and my current role as President-Elect of the Minnesota Council of Teachers of English.

Vance Holmes is one of the most outstanding university students I have ever had the good fortune to encounter. He is a keen, critical thinker; he is meticulous in classroom preparation; he is a gifted writer; he is a virtuoso in the incorporation of new technologies and media; he is committed to social justice; he possesses an uncommonly broad range of knowledge and experience; and, he is a leader in every sense of the word. His presence as a student in my classrooms increased our depth of conversation, caused us to reconsider our texts and perspectives, and strengthened the course at every meeting.

As he leaves the university to teach in his own classroom, I believe that Mr. Holmes possesses the abilities to bring about transformative education in the lives of his students, his department, and his school. I anticipate his classrooms to be engaging and connected to the rigors of the discipline and the lives of students. I anticipate his department will receive new ideas and approaches for working with urban children. I anticipate that his school will have found a pillar around which it can build increased effectiveness. Vance possesses the communication skills and knowledge to influence his entire community.

Vance Holmes is a rare academic/pre-service teacher. I recommend him as perhaps the most accomplished "new" teacher you may ever encounter.

Daryl L. Parks, Ph.D.
Associate Professor,
Language Arts Education

To whom it may concern:

I have had the pleasure of teaching Mr. Holmes during his coursework at Metropolitan State University and feel qualified to comment on his abilities. I taught Mr. Holmes and he completed one of his field experiences in the district I was working in at the time.

In the course, I was highly impressed with Mr. Holmes' organization and presentation skills. He always asked insightful questions and was an active participant in class discussions. He was willing to take feedback and apply this to assignments. Vance exhibited the ability to effectively communicate his own thoughts and ideas both verbally and in writing.

In the fieldwork, the school staff talked with me as they were highly impressed with Mr. Holmes. This fieldwork was in a setting three special education classroom. The staff commented on the way that Vance interacted with the students in a respectful manner. He was willing to assist in any way possible and was not intimidated with the students even though he did not have much experience with this population. Additionally, the staff commented on his connections with students, preparedness, communication skills, and professionalism.

Without a doubt, I feel Mr. Holmes is a highly skilled and capable teacher. He is warm, compassionate and caring. I was impressed with Mr. Holmes' ability to receive feedback and apply this in future situations.

Undoubtedly, I believe Mr. Holmes has the skills and dispositions to be a great teacher. Please feel free to contact me via email or phone if you have additional questions.

Sincerely,

Aaron R. Deris, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
College of Education
Department of Elementary and
Early Childhood Education

To Whom It May Concern:

It is with great pleasure that I offer this letter of support for Vance Holmes. Vance was a student in my Adolescent Literatures course, where he made his mark early and often as a critically, creatively and passionately engaged thinker and scholar, one who fulfilled the highest expectations of academic performance. While I have worked with many wonderful students over the years, I can tell you without a moment's hesitation that Vance is that rare student whose work and dedication are so extraordinary it sets him apart as the very exemplar of the ideal.

For some context - mine is a demanding course, one that challenges the multiple intelligences of learning styles, and balances both the theoretical and applied aspects of the discipline overall. Students stay very busy: they read and write critically and intensively; dialogue extensively on a variety of course related themes; "blog" book reviews and annotations, gauging them against a range of evaluation criteria; meet with teens on interactive assignments; practice reading engagement techniques; and work collaboratively throughout the semester as an award "committee" to simulate the professional experience of judging and identifying the single model of award excellence among the dozens of self-selected titles they've read throughout the semester. In essence, they are introduced, through a time-compressed window, into many important "touchstones" of the profession overall.

Vance quickly understood the holistic goals and objectives of this complex process and embraced its various challenges. In doing so he did something unique: he took the mandate for richly developed synthesis and transformed it to a higher level of "intellectual alchemy," one that reflected the dedication of mind and heart he brings to every task. He approached every concept and activity with great thought and care and offered such profoundly astute insights that he made my course better by introducing contextual templates, rubrics and implications beyond the already substantive course content included. He elevated every assignment submission, particularly the final reflection project, to the highest level of fulfillment, producing such polished and consummate analysis that it bears a much closer resemblance to a post graduate thesis.

What is most clear above and beyond Vance's extraordinary dedication and impressive work ethic is the powerful drive to make the world better through teaching. He cares deeply about mentoring and empowering students through this vocation, a choice he did not make lightly. When I think about the caliber of work he presented in my class I get very excited for his future students, and I cannot imagine a better expression of his many talents and gifts than a classroom career.

Please feel free to contact me if I can provide any additional details. I would be happy to expand on any of the points addressed in this letter.

Sincerely,

Adela Peskorz, M.L.S.
Professor Emerita and Community Faculty

To whom it may concern:

It is my pleasure to recommend Vance Holmes as a future urban communications arts teacher grade 5-12. I have observed Vance demonstrate confidence and skill in learning and teaching. I am impressed by his academic performance, professionalism and willingness to adapt to each new teaching and learning opportunity.

Vance is resourceful and determined to succeed. I met Vance during his graduate studies at Metropolitan State University and quickly became aware of his wealth of knowledge and experience. What I find most amazing is how humble Vance remains although his qualifications often exceed the learning situation. He is always eager to engage in whatever the circumstances require with a genuine passion for excellence.

I highly recommend Vance Holmes as a future urban educator. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me.

Barbara B. Washington
Interim Executive Director & Community Faculty
Urban Teacher Program

To whom it may concern:

It is my pleasure to recognize Vance Holmes for his outstanding work and contributions in EDU 615 - Managing Learning in Urban Classrooms: Advanced Theory and Practice offered by the Urban Teacher Program at Metropolitan State University. Vance is completing courses for a Graduate Certificate in Urban Secondary Education for Communication Arts teaching licensure.

Vance was a strong component in my class. He brought a unique perspective and was able to contribute to class discussions on many levels given his vantage point in terms of race, gender, culture and experience. The quality of his work was extraordinary. It was characterized by excellence, intentionality and attention to detail.

I found Vance to be very passionate about learning and he is deeply committed to addressing issues of equity and social justice in education and society. He is a proven leader and uses his education to inform his work for change and to gain access to professional positions that can effect this much-needed change.

I am confident that Vance will succeed as an educator because of his skills, discipline and determination. He is smart and creative and I am confident that he will bring fun, focused energy to any classroom.

Sincerely,

Natalie D. Rasmussen, Ph.D.
Community Faculty
Urban Teacher Program

To Whom It May Concern:

This letter is written on behalf of Mr. Vance Holmes. As a graduate student in the Urban Teacher Program at Metropolitan State University he demonstrated exceptional qualities as a leader and teacher.

Vance is a person of integrity. There are numerous positive descriptors to describe Vance. His professional work ethic is high. He is disciplined, competent, and has extraordinary ability to handle responsibilities. I highly recommend Vance for a position with your organization. He will be an asset to your institution.

Please feel free to contact me if further information is needed specific to a position.

Sincerely,

Nadine Haley, Ph.D.
Associate Professor/Chair
School of Urban Education
Metropolitan State University