Brandon Galarita is a freelance writer and K-12 educator in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is passionate about technology in education, college and career readiness and school improvement through data-driven ...

Q: I frequently see ads that ask for writing samples, along with the résumé and cover letter. I have hesitated to respond to these job ads because I’m not sure what kinds of things I should submit.

For years, nothing seemed capable of turning around New Dorp High School’s dismal performance—not firing bad teachers, not flashy education technology, not after-school programs. So, faced with ...