Today, Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education, and media company, with the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS), a coalition of 81 of the nation’s largest urban public school systems, announced Birmingham City Schools as the sixth annual winner of the Richard M. Robinson Literacy Champion Award.
Named in honor of the late Scholastic Chairman and CEO, this annual award recognizes a CGCS member school district for demonstrated progress in advancing reading achievement with the goal of further supporting gains by increasing access to digital and print books, magazines, and materials within the district.
"Strong literacy foundations create pathways to lifelong learning and opportunity," said Tai Chapman, Vice President, National Head of Education Partnerships, Scholastic Education. "The leadership of Dr. Mark Sullivan and Birmingham City Schools demonstrates how a sustained commitment to reading can strengthen schools, empower students, and enrich entire communities. We are honored to recognize their achievements with the Richard M. Robinson Literacy Champion Award and celebrate their ongoing dedication to student success."
School Library Makeover
As the Richard M. Robinson Literacy Champion Award-winner, Birmingham City Schools is provided the opportunity to select a site for a school library makeover.
This spring, an elementary in the district will receive a donation of more than 6,000 high-quality books, and every enrolled student will receive a summer book pack of 10 titles to take home and own, encouraging independent reading beyond the classroom. In addition, the school will also receive a one-year site license to Scholastic Literacy Pro®, an award-winning blended learning program that provides 24/7 access to more than 2,500 fiction and nonfiction e-books for purposeful independent reading, allowing personalized student choice while providing teachers with real-time data to inform instruction.
The prizing will help Birmingham City Schools increase access to books and educational resources for their students– a critical component to student success, as according to the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™, over half of all kids get most of the books they read for fun from a school-based source.
“Under Dr. Sullivan’s leadership, Birmingham City Schools has made significant gains in reading since the COVID-19 pandemic, with third-grade reading proficiency at 77.6%,” said Council Executive Director Ray Hart. “In addition, in 2024-2025, fifteen schools improved by at least one letter grade on the Alabama State Department of Education Report Card, and the chronic absentee rate decreased from 29% in 2023 to 14% in 2025. We celebrate the advancement that students in the district are achieving and express our gratitude to Scholastic for their efforts to provide equitable access to high-quality reading materials in urban schools across the nation. We look forward to this award making a meaningful impact on the students and educators in the Birmingham school district.”
“Our students and teachers have worked hard to make real progress in reading since the pandemic, and this recognition is something our entire Birmingham City Schools community can be proud of,” said Superintendent Dr. Mark Sullivan. “We want every student to graduate ready for one of our four E’s -enrolled in college, enlisted in the military, an entrepreneur or employed- and being a strong reader is an important part of getting there. We’re grateful to Scholastic and the Council of the Great City Schools for putting more books in our students’ hands and helping them discover a love of reading that can open doors for their future.”