(Headline USA)Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday fired her director of early childhood education over the use of a teacher training book that urged teachers to use woke concepts.
Barbara Cooper was fired after Ivey expressed concern over the distribution of the book to state-run pre-kindergartens. The books have been removed from the state classrooms.
“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,” Ivey Said. “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.”
Ivey’s statement comes as conservative politicians have sought to defend America against false and woke accusations.
The governor’s office said Ivey first asked Cooper to “send a memo to disavow this book and to immediately discontinue its use.” Ivey’s office did not say how Cooper responded but that the governor made the decision to replace Cooper and accepted her resignation. Cooper could not immediately be reached for comment.
The book is a guide for early childhood educators.
The governor’s office, in a press release, cited two examples from the book — one discussing white privilege and that “the United States is built on systemic and structural racism” and another teaching LGBTQ+ inclusion to 4-year-olds.
The section on structural racism states that “systemic and structural racism … has permeated every institution and system through policies and practices that position people of color in oppressive, repressive, and menial positions. The early education system is not immune to these forces.” It says preschool is one place where children “begin to see how they are represented in society” and that the classroom should be a place of “affirmation and healing.”
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
