Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey delivers her State of the State address, Tuesday, March 7, 2023, in Montgomery, Ala. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday announced she replaced her director of early childhood education over the use of a teacher training book, written by a nationally recognized education group, that the Republican governor denounced as teaching "woke concepts" because of language about inclusion and structural racism.
Ivey's statement comes as conservative politicians have made a rallying cry out of decrying so-called "woke" teachings, with schools sometimes emerging as a flashpoint over diversity training and parents' rights. 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 colour 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.