April 26, 2022

Dear Selection Committee,

I am writing to recommend John Ayres for a position at your school / college. He worked with our team at Highland High School as a Secondary Math Teacher and Class Advisor and reported to me in my position as principal of the secondary school.

As a colleague, John was extremely reliable and organized – He had well organized lesson and unit plans, and was diligent to find the right teaching methods for each of his classes. Mr. Ayres came to Highland last fall on a one year only assignment for our 8th grade through 12th grade Math program. John had some math background but was willing to commit to a math program to help cover the one-year void created when our math teacher took a year's leave of absence. This situation was not ideal for Mr. Ayres, but he tirelessly worked weekends to bridge the gap between his current math knowledge and curriculum needs - for all of his students.

Mr. Ayres showed that he is an outstanding educator, firm but always finding ways to engage students. One example is our school’s small student population often means that one class period may have two or three areas of focus in the classroom. Our students thrived in this differentiated class setting… and learned skills for success in our school and in our community.

Another example is Mr. Ayres taught a course here at Highland, Math 137 – Algebra / Trigonometry. By second semester the course was approved by a local college as a dual-credit course for our seniors – quite an accomplishment for someone that is not a math teacher by trade.

Also, I place a premium on integrity and honesty and John never failed to deliver on both fronts. When classroom or outside activities student issues arose, Mr. Ayres held firm to school and State policies and procedures in a consistent and professional manner.

All in all, Mr. Ayres has been a delight to work with – a dedicated educator with a positive, caring attitude. I do not believe that you would find a more committed educator and I would not hesitate to recommend him as an addition to your team.

Should you have any further questions, feel free to reach me at 208-469-0051.

Dennis Fredrickson

K-12 School Principal, Highland Schools