Birmingham Kicks-off 2024-25 School Year with a Warm Welcome from Superintendent Dr. Mark Sullivan

Birmingham Kicks-off 2024-25 School Year with a Warm Welcome from Superintendent Dr. Mark Sullivan

By Birmingham Times, 6th August 2024

Birmingham City School’s Superintendent Mark Sullivan toured city’s educational institutions on the opening day of the 2024-25 academic year. He visited Brown Elementary, Green Acres Middle School, Central Park Elementary, and Woodlawn High School, meeting students, teachers, counselors, principals, and support staff returning from the summer break.

Highlighting the tour, Dr. Sullivan returned to his alma mater, Woodlawn High School, where he joined Principal Rameka Davis to connect with students in the lunchroom, the early college prep class, a cosmetology class that trains future licensed hair stylists, and a visual arts class adorned with student-made art pieces. The Superintendent brought to these encounters not only warmth and familiarity but also words of encouragement and wisdom.

A Message of Resilience and Perseverance

Speaking to the students in the early college prep class, Dr. Sullivan urged, “Do not be afraid to fail. Failure is a pathway to success. I have not gotten everything that I’ve always wanted. Failure is what you learn from.” He drew inspiration from the life stories of famous figures like Dr. Seuss, who had his first book rejected 27 times, and Thomas Edison’s tireless pursuit in inventing the lightbulb. Sullivan emphasized, ‘”Be resilient. ‘The race is not won by the swift, it’s won by the person who persists to the end.’ You just have to keep moving forward.”

Focus on Post-Graduation Success

This academic year, Birmingham City Schools’ central focus will be post-graduation success. It has given life to a new Department for Post Secondary Success in collaboration with the Birmingham Promise. The department aims to better connect students to internships and dual enrollment opportunities. Birmingham Promise extends upto four years of tuition assistance for Birmingham City School graduates pursuing their degrees in public colleges and universities within Alabama.

Birmingham City Schools is also leveraging various initiatives for academic achievement like “iReady”, a reading and math monitoring software that tracks student progress and helps gauge their academic advancement. Other programs include Magic Learning, which supports virtual learning opportunities for students balancing unique schedules, and Intercession, which offers students up to four weeks of additional in-school time. Dr. Sullivan mentioned that programs like Intercession enable the school to provide student support through enrichments, credit advancement, and remediation.

As the new Birmingham City Schools’ academic year takes flight, Dr. Sullivan’s tour and inspiring words set an uplifting tone of resilience and perseverance for students and staff alike.