Kay Ivey fires Early Childhood Education Secretary Barbara Cooper
On Friday, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced that she has removed Barbara Cooper from her position as the Secretary of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education (ADECE). Cooper submitted her resignation after it was discovered that ADECE was promoting “woke” concepts to the teachers of the state’s four-year-olds. The Ivey administration learned that there was a pre-K teacher’s resource book with radical content being distributed across the state. After this was confirmed, Ivey demanded that Cooper issue a memo denouncing the text and removing it from use in Alabama’s pre-K program. Cooper refused and instead offered her resignation. Gov. Ivey accepted her resignation. “The education of Alabama’s children is my top priority as governor, and there is absolutely no room to distract or take away from this mission. Let me be crystal clear,” Ivey said in a statement. “Woke concepts that have zero to do with a proper education and that are divisive at the core have no place in Alabama classrooms at any age level, let alone with our youngest learners. We want our children to be focused on the fundamentals, such as reading and math.” “Alabama’s First Class Pre-K is the best in the country, and those children are at too critical of a juncture in their educational journeys and development to get it wrong,” Ivey continued. “I remain confident in the wonderful teachers we have in pre-K classrooms around our state and in the necessity of our children receiving a strong start to their educational journeys in our First Class Pre-K program. I thank Dr. Cooper for her service, but I believe it is best we continue this historically strong program on its forward trajectory under new leadership.” Ivey said that the content is simply not in line with what the Ivey Administration or the people of Alabama stand for or believe. Ivey stated that she strongly believes that woke concepts have no place at any level of education in Alabama and should not be taken away from the overall mission of improving educational outcomes for students. The resource book told the four-year-old kindergarten teachers that there are “larger systemic forces that perpetuate systems of White privilege” and that “the United States is built on systemic and structural racism.” The resource book also instructed the K4 teachers to instruct the four-year-olds that “LGBTQIA+ need to hear and see messages that promote equality, dignity, and worth.” The glossary includes equally disturbing concepts to the Ivey Administration. Ivey said that her administration and the people of Alabama in no way, shape, or form believe should be used to influence school children, let alone four-year-olds. Ivey said that for as long as she is governor, Alabama will be focused on ensuring our students are receiving a quality education and that she does not stand for these concepts. Cooper was appointed to the position in July 2020. Dr. Jan Hume will serve as the interim secretary of the ADECE while Governor Ivey decides on a permanent secretary to lead the department in the immediate future. The legislature is considering legislation by Rep. Ed Oliver that would ban state agencies from teaching and promoting divisive concepts. The Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education is a cabinet-level agency that answers directly to the ADECE Secretary, who is appointed by the Governor and is not under the direct supervision of the State School Board – even though many of the pre-K classrooms are in Alabama elementary schools. Gov. Ivey has made expanding the state’s First Class Pre-K classrooms to improve access for four-year-olds across the state a high priority of her administration. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama First Class Pre-K program to expand to 96 new classrooms this fall
Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education announced that the nationally recognized, high-quality Alabama First Class Pre-K program will add 96 new classrooms in 35 counties this fall. Additionally, the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) announced that Alabama First Class Pre-K has been rated as the nation’s highest quality state pre-kindergarten program for the sixteenth consecutive year. The new classrooms will expand access to 26,658 children in the 2022-2023 school year, with more than 1,481 classrooms statewide, with the goal to serve 70 percent of eligible four-year-old children. Also today, the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) announced that Alabama First Class Pre-K has once again been rated as the nation’s highest quality state pre-kindergarten program for the sixteenth consecutive year. “Alabama’s First Class Pre-K has once again been recognized as a national model for delivering high-quality early childhood education that gives our youngest citizens a strong start to their educational journey,” stated Ivey. “I am glad to see that even more students will have access to pre-K next year and look forward to the day that all Alabama families who want pre-K for their children have access.” “We are excited to serve an additional 1,728 students in our First Class Pre-K program in the coming year,” said Dr. Barbara Cooper, secretary of Early Childhood Education. “We are thrilled that Governor Ivey and our state leaders continue to invest in early childhood education supporting Alabama First Class Pre-K in maintaining all 10 NIEER quality benchmarks for 16 years running.” “Leaders across the state recognize the benefits of high-quality pre-K. Thank you to the organizations within the early learning mixed delivery system who have stepped up to partner with us to provide this valuable opportunity in all 67 counties,” Cooper added. The Alabama Legislature approved Ivey’s recommended Fiscal Year 2023 budget increase for the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education. This budget included a $22.5 million increase for the Office of School Readiness that administers First Class Pre-K. In addition to funding new classrooms throughout the state, the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education will continue to ensure pay parity for all First Class Pre-K teachers with the same pay raise as K-12 public school teachers in the upcoming school year. Investing in early childhood education has led to substantial positive outcomes for children who participate in the program. Alabama First Class Pre-K students are more likely to be proficient in math and reading, with these long-term results holding true even after controlling for student demographics and other variables such as poverty.
Personnel Update: Dr. Barbara Cooper appointed Secretary of AL Dept of Early Childhood Education
Cooper has over 30 years of education experience.
