<p>^^ MomofNEA-- You’re lucky you have the written comments-- you can see how well the teachers write, and if they really get something honest and compelling down on paper when they’re talking about your student. You can also guess (I’ve found) from parent-teacher conferences-- does the teacher really ‘get’ the kid? Does he or she drone on, or sparkle with understanding? D had one teacher who brought me in, sat me down, and told me 3 or 4 things that let me see she knew and appreciated D, and would be able to get that across. </p>
<p>But mainly-- I asked the GC-- he could discreetly suggest who really writes a good recommendation. I suggested several names and he said “How about A and D”…and I trust him. But you never really know-- the teacher who has been closest to D all this time, and for whom D really is a ‘teachers’ pet, didn’t really write a compelling letter. (She gave D a copy.) She’s just not a writer, that’s all-- but it would have been terrible not to ask her when she has been a wonderful mentor to D all these years.</p>