Peter McDougal, Principal

Raleigh Hills K-8 School

Beaverton School District 48J
5225 SW Scholls Ferry Road
Portland, OR 97225
503.356.2160 w Fax: 503.356.2165
peter_mcdougal@beaverton.k12.or.us

April 17, 2019

Letter of Recommendation for Crystal Gassert

It is with great confidence that I recommend Crystal Gassert to become an Assistant Principal. She is an accomplished
educator who has served as an administrative intern this past year at Raleigh Hills K-8. During her time at our school she
has quickly connected with students and staff, established her credibility, and gained our respect. She is highly regarded
in our learning community, and is thoughtful, reflective, and inquisitive. She possesses a combination of clear vision,
excellent interpersonal skills, right priorities, and solid moral character. She is an effective leader ready to succeed as an
assistant principal.

During Ms. Gassert’s time at RHK8, she has helped develop our school by coming alongside and learning from school
leaders, by asking questions, by making recommendations, by working closely with students, and leading staff. Multiple
times she has seen ways that she can guide improvements at our school, and she has effectively done so. For example,
she conducted an equity audit to determine where our school faced inequities, determining that vocabulary was a key
need. Crystal then shared her findings to help teachers improve their practice. She worked closely with our sixth grade
team to identify why their students were struggling with vocabulary and sentence articulation, and then helped them
make desired progress.

Crystal is a leader who understands how to help teachers embrace research-based best practices, thereby improving
student performance. She listens carefully, asks questions and guides educators so they grow in their ability to design
instruction that strengthens student understanding and skills. Ms. Gassert has shown promise with the art of observing
and providing constructive feedback. Throughout the year she has spent time in classrooms and conducted observations
to support growth. She has drawn on her rich background in reading, writing, and math instruction, and she has been
able to problem solve with teachers to guide and support them. This has led to our teachers improving their practice and
students making academic gains.

Ms. Gassert creates positive change by collaborating, by modeling as an instructional leader, and by responding to
student behavior concerns. In facilitating middle school culture work to improve school climate, for example, Crystal has
administered student surveys, developed and led a student leadership group focused on equity and empathy, and
worked with teachers to identify students who can make a positive impact. Similarly, Ms. Gassert has supported student
behavior for both general education students and students who have behavior-based IEPs. And, on a number of
occasions, she has handled investigations for student concerns utilizing restorative practices, circles, and other
interventions. She is competent in responding to student behavior concerns, and is effective working with students with
extreme behaviors.

I have truly appreciated seeing Ms. Gassert develop into an excellent leader. I know that she is an exceptional candidate
who will flourish as an assistant principal, and students and staff will excel under her leadership. I encourage you to
contact me at if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,

Peter McDougal, D.Ed., Principal