Governor Kay Ivey’s office recently announced the resignation of Dr. Barbara Cooper, secretary of Alabama’s Department of Early Childhood Education (ADECE). The resignation came following the discovery of a teacher’s resource book containing woke concepts such as “white privilege,” “systemic racism,” and LGBTQ-promoting language.
The book in question is the fourth edition of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Developmentally Appropriate Practice Book. When Cooper was asked to disavow the ideologies advanced by the NAEYC, on whose board she is currently serving a four-year term, she refused and resigned.
Ivey took a strong stance against these ideas. “Let me be crystal clear: 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,” she said in a statement released by her office. “We want our children to be focused on the fundamentals, such as reading and math.”
This whole episode may come as a shock to the public, but it shouldn’t be a shock to the governor and the people who vetted Cooper for the position. The signs were there all along.
Cooper was appointed secretary of the ADECE by Ivey on July 1, 2020, but she had been with the ADECE since 2018. Before that, she worked in several school districts throughout the state, including a stint as the deputy superintendent of Huntsville City Schools.
Before coming to Huntsville though, Cooper served five years at Aurora Public Schools (APS) in Colorado as the Chief Equity and Engagement Officer where she took on the “challenge of eliminating systemic racism.” Interestingly, APS is also on the resume of former Huntsville City School Superintendent Casey Wardynski, who abruptly resigned in 2016, and was later accused of supporting CRT and Common Core during his tenure as superintendent.
Equally concerning is Cooper’s relationship with the National Head Start Association (NHSA), a Black Lives Matter ally who admittedly works to educate pre-k teachers and students with “anti-racism” training and woke ideology. “As part of my work to build an exemplary early education model, I ensure Head Start is at the decision-making table as a preeminent voice in kindergarten readiness,” Cooper said in an interview with NHSA. “We have a professional within our department who collaborates with our Head Start programs in Alabama.”
Apparently, none of these things were red flags to the governor's office and Cooper was placed in charge of directing Alabama’s First Class Pre-K program. The governor consistently boasts about this nationally-recognized program, recently calling for its expansion throughout the state. This would mean taking more children out of their homes at an earlier age and placing them in a system that has proven to be riddled with woke agendas.
Is this negligence, incompetence, or is something more devious at play here?
A few weeks ago, we were discussing the governor appointee who published essays on forcing LGBTQ lessons into curricula for children as young as kindergarten. This same man was on the textbook committee choosing the new kindergarten curriculum that was adopted without ever being released to the public for consideration.
It seems we are “suddenly” running into problems with people who should never have been appointed in the first place based on their past performances. All the signs of left-leaning ideologies were there before the appointments were even made. Who oversees vetting these appointees, and why is the governor looking like a hero for remedying a situation her own office is responsible for? If Ivey is so concerned with woke concepts not being introduced to preschool children, then appointing people with clear woke biases to direct programs for these ages is not the answer.
Woke indoctrination is a fierce enemy of our country, our communities, and our families, and, at best, is not being taken as seriously as it should be.
Our children’s education is worth more careful consideration than it is currently given. The governor’s words are not matching her actions, and when it comes to our youngest and most vulnerable children, she needs to be held accountable. We deserve answers from her office as to why these agendas are consistently slipping through the cracks.
Lauren is a wife, mother, and writer with a passion for boldly speaking truth. Writing and speaking for over a decade, Lauren has reached millions worldwide. She is known for her Biblical approach to controversial topics and humorous approach to counteracting the lies of the world. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram at @laurendemoss.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819news.com.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
