Dear Friends of CIS,

On September 28, Communities In Schools watched with great pride as  CIS student Rachael Wise spoke on a national panel at NBC's "Education Nation" summit in New York City. This was a great honor and experience for Rachael as NBC flew Rachael and her CIS Site Coordinator to New York as their guest to take part in this nationally televised event. I hope you will take a moment to read the MSNBC.com article about her. The truth is, while we are most proud of Rachael and know she was an excellent representative for CIS, we also know that we have hundreds more students like Rachael-students who have the ability and drive to succeed, despite difficult circumstances and barriers to overcome. When given the appropriate support and access to resources that CIS provides, we witness hundreds of student "success stories" every year.  

In addition to Rachael's, other "success stories" are shared below - all made possible by you, our partners, donors and volunteers. From books for students, to concert tickets as reward for good grades and attendance - or even a home in which to live - Communities In Schools makes the connections between those students and families in need with those who have the desire and ability to give. Many thanks to each of you for your support, which enables us to give students these life-changing opportunities.

At this time I'd also like to share some personal news: this past week I accepted the Executive Director position with MeckEd (Mecklenburg Citizens for Public Education) and will begin there on January 3, 2011. This was a difficult decision for me personally, as my 4-1/2 years with Communities In Schools has been a most rewarding and fulfilling experience. 

In my 30 years as an educator, I know first-hand that CIS is one of the most effective programs in the country dedicated to serving at-risk youth and improving stay-in-school and graduation rates. I have great respect for all of our staff, whom I know have tremendous expertise in executing our mission and have students' best interests at heart with every decision. The organization is strong financially, and I have the utmost confidence in our senior leadership team and Board of Directors, who will ensure a smooth transition to a new director. In my new position with MeckEd, I will continue to advocate for CIS and the thousands of students and schools who benefit from the CIS "safety net" of services.