Foreword by President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter |
| We first met Bill Milliken and Neil Shorthouse more than 30 years ago when
they came to us in Georgia with an innovative response to the loss of so many
young people from the public school system. We supported the fledgling program,
then called EXODUS, from the governor's office. Upon entering the White House in
1977, we helped Bill take his work to a national level and have continued our
interest in the years since. |
| Having helped get Communities In Schools off to a good start, it has been
a joy to watch it become an important force for change. Our affection for and
commitment to Bill Milliken and Neil Shorthouse have never wavered - they are
truly life companions for both of us. Bill's faithful insistence that "Programs
don't change people - relationships do" has been a constant reminder and
inspiration for us in all of our endeavors. |
| This extraordinary account tells how Bill and Neil and their colleagues
developed the insights that have meant so much to communities across the
country. The publication of The Last Dropout could not be more timely. Americans
are waking up to the truth about how we do - or don't - serve our children
through the public school system. About one third of all young people and 50
percent of poor and minority youth fail to graduate with their peers. Dropping
out of school is economically disastrous for the dropout, who is crying out for
social justice, not more discrimination. That poor people bear the burden of our
failure to create an equitable public education system is one of the major
themes of this work. Anyone who hopes to reverse the economic injustices of our
society must confront this reality. |
| The dropout epidemic is costing America too many children, too many tears, too many futures. The Last Dropout is a declaration of hope and a call to action, showing how we can change schools and
communities, one student and one family at a time. It is also a book of
wonderful human stories from a deeply caring and spiritual individual. |
| President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter |