Alabama is one of the most-watched states in K-12 education, ranking first in the nation for math recovery, building a statewide science of reading infrastructure, and passing landmark school funding reform. Much of that progress traces back to stability at the top.
We sat down with Alabama State Superintendent of Education Eric Mackey—one of America’s longest-serving state superintendents—to talk about the transformative impact steady leadership has had on Alabama’s public schools and the work still ahead.
Q: You’re now in your seventh year as state superintendent, one of the longest tenures of a state superintendent in recent memory. What does that kind of sustained leadership make possible that a shorter tenure couldn’t?
Mackey: When I interviewed for this position in March 2018, I actually told Gov. Kay Ivey and the State Board that I was only interested in the position if they were willing to commit to 8-10 years. May 14, 2026 will be eight years, so I have spent a lot of time reflecting on that commitment from both sides. I knew at the time that constant churn had left Alabama behind. The Board had considered some excellent policies, and superintendents had proposed some good ideas, but implementation required consistent leadership and investment.
Because the Board members, Gov. Ivey, and I all went into this “for the long game,” we have been able to make systemic changes, not just programmatic changes. We have been able to make strategic investments, not just funding projects. I do believe our state has accomplished more because of this type of sustained commitment from both sides.
Q: Alabama is increasingly grouped with Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee as part of what some are calling a “Southern Surge” in education outcomes. What do you think those states share in common, and where does Alabama stand apart?
Mackey: All of our states understand the historic nature of our challenges, and all of us are committed to moving our states ahead with more progressive economies in this 21st century. I think we all realize that much ground was lost through much of the last century. Alabama began trying to make up for lost ground earnestly in the last decade of the 20th century, but there was a lot to do in order to actually change and reorder the system for better outcomes.
In Alabama, our real success during my tenure has been the ability to develop a consistent long-term strategy with our State Board, Legislature, and State Department of Education all rowing in the same direction behind the great leadership of our dedicated governor. We believe we are only getting started, and we are focused on the long game.
Q: Alabama is building a strong foundation in the science of reading for early grades. How are you thinking about the upper grades (e.g., adolescent literacy and students who fell through the cracks before these reforms took hold)?
Mackey: We began tackling the challenge of adolescent literacy with an initiative we call “Reading Beyond Grade 3,” or “RBG3” but more and more I am switching to the term “adolescent literacy” because I think it better encapsulates our goal of expanding student vocabulary and teaching them to read in the subject areas.
When I was a middle school science teacher, I was baffled that some of my students “could not read”. Actually, they could read; they just couldn’t read the material I was assigning to them because of vocabulary, context, and background knowledge. As a science teacher, it was my job to build those reading skills—not just to “teach science”! Unfortunately, too many of our intermediate and middle grade teachers have never been instructed in teaching reading effectively. We need to fix that, and we are committed to doing so.
Learning to read is never a journey’s end. Even today, I choose to read challenging texts that cause me to expand my vocabulary, context, and understanding. Even at my age, I want to read books that have new words whose meaning I have to look up in the dictionary. We all need to live that way.
Q: Alabama ranked first in the nation for math recovery between 2019 and 2024 and posted the largest gain in 4th grade NAEP scores. What’s actually driving those results, and how does Alabama plan to sustain them?
Mackey: Alignment and consistency. Post Common Core, we built our own standards using both the best national research and NAEP framework as well as practical advice from practicing mathematics teachers in Alabama. We built assessments—both summative and formative—aligned to those standards. We chose a limited number of excellent Tier I instructional texts aligned to that work. And, we got to work.
The next step is embedding math coaches into each of our elementary schools. We are doing that work now. It is not easy to maintain alignment and consistency on a large-scale, statewide initiative, but it is the only way forward.
Q: Alabama has made great strides, but significant achievement gaps persist between the state’s lowest-income districts and more affluent ones. What’s the strategy for closing those gaps?
Mackey: In 2025, our Legislature passed the RAISE Act, adding new funding to our schools based on student demographics: poverty, special education, gifted education, and English language learners. In 2026, the Legislature increased funding in each of these priorities, and they are committed to continue this investment. These funds are under local control, but their expenditure is targeted toward closing the achievement gap and expanding opportunities.
