An Open Letter to the Stakeholders of Birmingham City Schools

from Superintendent Craig Witherspoon

December 17, 2014

As we bring this calendar year to a close and move forward into the holiday season, I want to again say
thank you for your support during my tenure as Superintendent of Birmingham City Schools. Most
importantly, I thank you for your support of our students. They are indeed our greatest stakeholders and
are the absolute reason that this organization exists. To that end, our core business teaching and
learning - has been at the heart of what I have done and how I approached this work. That is why we
have seen significant improvements in not only student outcomes, but in our overall organizational
effectiveness. Together, we have made a significant difference in the lives of the children we serve.
When I arrived as Superintendent in 2010, I was greeted with a poem, Look at What Youve Got by
Charity Kidd. Over the years, I have often referred to the poem that speaks to challenges and strengths
of the system. Now, almost five years later, we have accomplished much more. This includes a 24-point
increase in the cohort graduation rate a rate that has soared from 55% to 79%. Weve doubled the
number of students taking Advanced Placement tests, and weve seen the implementation of seven
career academies across six high schools, with plans currently underway for expansion. Because of our
Academy programming, we have received a $19 million dollar college readiness grant. We have
implemented International Baccalaureate (IB) programming at three levels, making us one of only two
systems statewide offering IB programming K-12. Coupled with this academic growth, weve also seen
our student scholarship offers rise from $16 million to over $24 million annually. And for our youngest
students, Birmingham City Schools has experienced tremendous growth to facilitate early childhood
learning opportunities, expanding Pre-K classrooms from 9 to 23 districtwide.
For those students needing academic alternatives to be successful, we implemented a dropout recovery
program which has graduated over 700 students, awarding them diplomas and the life opportunities
that come with this achievement. Along those same lines, we decreased the dropout rate by 4-points
collectively, and adopted and implemented district-wide academic and instructional goals and objectives
to ensure consistency of teaching and learning across the district. We fine-tuned our social media
presence, expanded our publications and communication efforts, and created the first ever annual
report to highlight our accomplishments, and to consistently inform the community of our goals and
progress. And of significance, we helped the Birmingham Education Foundation raise $4 million during
its inaugural campaign to support our schools.

P.O. Box 10007 Birmingham, AL 35202 Telephone: 205-231-4600

www.bhamcityschools.org

An Open Letter to the Stakeholders of Birmingham City Schools from Superintendent Craig Witherspoon
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December 17, 2014

Financially, we made millions in reductions in central office staff and administrative costs prior to the
state intervention. Though painful, we worked through a financial recovery plan that took us from a $2
million to a $22 million fund balance; and we sold $4 million in surplus property a first for the
organization. We modernized and streamlined our operations by implementing an online registration
system, and we digitized over 8.5 million pages of documents to maximize administrative efficiency.
Looking back, if we pause and say, Look at What Youve Got, the Birmingham City School system has
accomplished a lot, both academically and operationally. While there is still work to do, we have
demonstrated that by working for a common purpose and in the same direction, Birmingham City
Schools is not only capable of reaching its greatest aspirations, the system can dream bigger knowing
that it now has the capacity to exceed even its own high expectations.
On a personal note, I want to thank you for keeping me focused on the things that truly matter in the
lives and futures of students. Your thoughts and prayers during challenging times were of comfort and
served as a beacon of light and support when needed most. Your feedback kept me grounded and
offered assurance that the road less traveled was indeed the right path. Your well wishes at this time
offers mutual appreciation as colleagues and as educators and stakeholders who truly care about
children and their well-being.
Marian Wright Edelman said that, Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your
community and world better than you found it. These accomplishments, with your support, have done
just that. It has been, indeed, a privilege to serve as Superintendent of Birmingham City Schools and I
am proud of what we have accomplished, together, along the way.
Sincerely,
Craig Witherspoon, Ed.D.
Superintendent