Foreword author's name also included in the Table of Contents
Example 1: Recommendation style, and also the standard foreword in the book:
FOREWORD, BY TERRY SPRADLIN
Can you imagine a world where there is more humility, civility, and compassion among mankind? Would this not contribute to a better future for all, especially our children? On behalf of the Indiana School Boards Association, I recommend this book and not only ask you to contemplate these possibilities, but as state leaders, school officials, teachers, and parents, to assess and value the importance of our public education system.
Author Ravi Hutheesing has written a timely, essential book, Pivot, which emphasizes that “cultural competence is the pathway to equity, equity is the pathway to equality, and equality is the pathway to world peace.” Recent news has buoyed optimism that our state has successfully weathered the pandemic and the resulting recession. Both policymakers and state administrative officials should be lauded for their effective fiscal management contributing to these positive outcomes.
Indiana’s resiliency during this year of uncertainty and unprecedented challenges is good news, considering that the state has lagged behind most other states in its investment in K-12 education. This has resulted in the lowest teacher salary growth in the nation over the past two decades. The legislature and governor approved a good budget in 2019 supporting K-12 education to halt this long-term trend and also signified a renewed commitment to ensuring adequate resources for the more than 1 million Hoosier students in our schools, but there is more hard work to be done.
Indiana’s framers of the state constitution had the foresight to recognize the paramount importance of “a general and uniform system of Common Schools, wherein tuition shall be without charge and equally open to all.” Indeed, public schools are the engine of opportunity for the state. Indiana’s economy and citizenry rely and thrive on the success of our public education system. In an ever-complex world and society, it is incumbent that state leaders continue to bolster K-12 public education, not only as a pillar of our democracy, but to produce global citizens with critical thinking and life-long learning skills needed to adapt and pivot to the seismic changes facing the workplace. Public education must also play a critical role in addressing the social injustices that permeate our society, and which were illuminated in 2020.
Per Mr. Hutheesing, who spoke to Indiana K-12 school officials at an annual conference before the pandemic, an essential role of our teachers and public education system is to “create cultural competence (empathy for those who are different) and equity (fairness) in education.” Hutheesing contends, “If all schools teach with a vision of global citizenship, we will have a more peaceful world in the future.” Such a system will rekindle a sense of patriotic duty and citizenship while helping to defeat ideology leading to radicalism, racism, and socioeconomic disparity.
Terry Spradlin, Executive Director, Indiana School Boards Association
Example 2: Personal Welcome style
FOREWORD, BY SCOTT R. KIZNER
Through crises and uncertainty, we discover the true strength and character of people within an organization. During the past 16 months as we navigated the COVID-19 Pandemic, I have witnessed the best in the people of Stafford County Public Schools.
From March 2020 until today, we never wavered in our commitment to feed children and their families. Our amazing technology, teaching, and instructional staff understood that we could not have equity unless every child was connected to the internet and provided high-quality instruction. The Special Education and Student Services staff and English Learner personnel ensured that our students, who deserve great support both academically and emotionally, were provided uninterrupted specialized services. Transportation, administration, health services, custodial, and maintenance staff always provided the time and resources needed to meet the ongoing demands and challenges of Covid-19.
As we journey through this exciting and thought-provoking book, Pivot: Empowering Students Today to Succeed in an Unpredictable Tomorrow, by Ravi Hutheesing, I hope you look back over the past year and recognize how many times we had to “pivot” to meet the needs of our students and the new demands in front of us. Pivot invites the reader to experience the passion, adventures, successes, challenges, and disappointments of the author. Through this lens, there are important lessons about equity, fairness, innovation, critical thinking, and risk-taking that will challenge us as educators to be better tomorrow than we are today. I am confident that all of my colleagues have life lessons we can all learn from and I hope we have time to share.
I end by thanking the best leadership and educators I have ever worked with. After 40 years in education and 22 years as superintendent, I am honored to call you colleagues and friends.
Respectfully, Scott R. Kizner Ph.D. Superintendent
Example 3: Simple Inspiration with Logo
INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGE FROM TASB
“If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years,
plant trees. If your plan is for the future 100 years, educate children.”
— Chinese Proverb