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Wednesday, November 11, 2026Nov 11

Alabama education board approves new textbooks after months-long dispute

The Alabama State Board of Education votes to approve a recommendation for social studies textbooks on March 12, 2026. The vote came after a months-long dispute over the content of the textbooks. (Andrea Tinker/Alabama Reflector)
The Alabama State Board of Education votes to approve a recommendation for social studies textbooks on March 12, 2026. The vote came after a months-long dispute over the content of the textbooks. (Andrea Tinker/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama State Board of Education votes to approve a recommendation for social studies textbooks on March 12, 2026. The vote came after a months-long dispute over the content of the textbooks. (Andrea Tinker/Alabama Reflector)


The Alabama State Board of Education has approved new textbooks for arts education and social studies after months of delays and disputes over content.

The board voted 5-4 to approve a list of recommendations for the books on Thursday.

Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, the chair of the board, voted along with two Democratic and two Republican board members to approve the recommendations.

“My vote today was about protecting the classroom, and I trust our local textbook committees to look over these books carefully and choose the very best materials that the committee provided,” board member Tracie West, a Republican, said after the meeting.