October 29, 2015

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing this letter in reference of Justin Blietzs performance as a 7 th grade Science teacher at
Warren G. Harding Middle School. Justin is an outstanding educator and will someday make a strong
administrator.
I was fortunate to work with Justin for four years at Warren G. Harding Middle School in Des
Moines, IA. As a SINA/PLAS school, we have high expectations for instruction and a student body
which often presents both academic and behavior challenges to teachers. Our goal is for our school to
be the model for secondary urban education in the United States. Justin thrived in this environment
and was extremely successful during his time at Harding. Justins calm demeanor allowed him to
remain calm and in control in any demanding situation. His ability to keep focus on the big picture
and not to overreact to things will serve him well as a future administrator. One of Justins greatest
strengths is his ability to create strong relationships with students. His presence and desire to help
children allows him to build strong connections with his students and to create a learning
environment in which students feel comfortable and are able to learn to the best of their abilities.
Justin was also been a valuable member of our Vice Principals Committee (VPC), and helped to
create, implement, and design a building-wide behavior model which allows us to meet the needs of
a diverse and often challenging demographic. When Justin started at Harding, we had the highest
number of suspensions and fights of any middle school in Des Moines Public Schools. Through the
hard work of Justin and other VPC members, Harding has led the district in the fewest number of
suspensions and fights of any secondary school in Des Moines for the past two years. We have
accomplished this by actively working to build relationships with students and finding ways to
empower them as positive leaders. As a member of VPC, Justin was an integral part of several
administrative projects and helped created many of our systems from scratch. He also coached our
boys basketball team, further allowing him to connect with students and to challenge them to
develop not just as learners, but as citizens as well.
Without hesitation, I would recommend Justin Blietz for an administrative program.. He is a positive,
professional educator who consistently works hard to improve, and someday will make an excellent
administrator. Please feel free to contact me with further questions.
Jason Snow
Vice Principal
Warren G Harding Middle School