Barbara Cooper

Governor Kay Ivey appointed Barbara Cooper as secretary of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education.

Cooper has more than 30 years of education experience, most recently serving in the department since 2018. She was appointed to the Alabama State Board of Education to serve as the chief administrative officer during the Montgomery Public Schools Intervention.

She is currently earning a certificate in early education leadership from Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She also has a Ph.D. and a master’s degree from the University of Colorado at Denver and a bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University.