Alabama.- Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced Friday that she has replaced her early education director for using a teacher training manual, written by a nationally recognized education group, that the Republican governor denounced for teaching “radically liberal” concepts to the include inclusive language and structural racism.
Barbara Cooper was fired as head of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education after Ivey raised concerns about the book’s distribution in state-operated pre-K. Ivey’s spokeswoman, Gina Maiola, identified the manual as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Book of Developmentally Appropriate Practices, 4th Edition. Maiola said that she understands that the books have been withdrawn from the classrooms of the state.
“The education of Alabama’s children is my priority as Governor and there is absolutely no chance to distract or take away from this mission. Let me be very clear: radically liberal concepts have no place in proper education and because they are divisive at their core they have no place in Alabama classrooms at any level, let alone our youngest students,” Ivey said in a statement.
Ivey’s statement came at a time when conservative politicians have denounced so-called “woke” teachings, a term they use disparagingly to refer to concepts of liberal ideology. Schools sometimes emerge as a flash point over diversity training and parental rights.
The governor’s office said Ivey first asked Cooper to “send a memo to reject the book and immediately discontinue its use.” She did not specify what Cooper’s response was, but did say that the governor made the decision to replace her and accepted her resignation. Cooper could not immediately be reached for comment.
