To celebrate the power of literacy achievement, today, Scholastic, in collaboration with the Council of Great City Schools (CGCS), a coalition of 78 of the nation’s largest urban public school systems, announced Portland Public Schools (PPS) as the second annual winner of the Richard M. Robinson Literacy Champion Award. Created and named in honor of the late Scholastic Chairman and CEO, Richard (Dick) Robinson, this award recognizes a PPS member school district for demonstrated progress in advancing reading achievement.
As the Richard M. Robinson Literacy Champion Award-winner, Portland Public Schools has selected its very ownJason Lee Elementary to receive the grand prize, which is designed to help increase book access and create a lasting culture of literacy.
Jason Lee Elementary will receive a donation of more than 6,000 high-quality, age-appropriate books, 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 ebooks for purposeful independent reading, allowing personalized student choice while providing teachers with real-time data to inform instruction. Additionally, every enrolled student will receive a summer book pack of 10 titles to take home and own, encouraging independent reading beyond the classroom.
Below, leaders at Scholastic, the Council of Great City Schools, and Portland Public Schools, share their thoughts on what this incredible award means:
“We are honored to celebrate Dick Robinson’s legacy and the ever-present mission of Scholastic by recognizing this well-deserving district. Dick worked tirelessly to ensure kids connected with stories that reflect their own experience as well as the experiences of others,” said Rose Else-Mitchell, President, Scholastic Education Solutions. “Scholastic is committed to expanding literacy for every child, as a gateway to equity and opportunity and as a means of preparing for the future. The research is clear that increasing access to books supports efforts of learning to read and reading to learn. We’re excited to build upon the successes of Portland Public Schools.”
“The Council is proud to partner with Scholastic to present the Richard M. Robinson Literacy Champion Award to Portland Public Schools,” said Council Executive Director Ray Hart. “The award is a fitting tribute to Richard, who throughout his life was a true champion for literacy. We appreciate Scholastic’s generous support to provide an opportunity for urban school students to increase their literacy skills with access to high quality reading materials that will help them develop a lifelong interest in reading and ensure academic success.”
"There is no more fundamental responsibility we have as educators than making sure every child can read," said Guadalupe Guerrero, Superintendent of Portland Public Schools. "We're honored that our early literacy work has been recognized. We will continue to implement proactive measures to ensure our youngest scholars acquire a strong foundation in literacy."
This award honors the late Chairman and CEO Richard (Dick) Robinson, who believed wholeheartedly that children should have expanding access to stories and engaging educational materials.
Congratulations to Portland Public Schools in Portland, Oregon and Jason Lee Elementary! To see more about this exciting event and award, be sure to follow Scholastic Education Solutions on Twitter @ScholasticED!
