Eric Mackey is Alabama’s new state superintendent of education. The state Board of Education selected Mackey today after interviewing three finalists. The other two finalists were Craig Pouncey of Jefferson County Schools and Kathy Murphy of Hoover City Schools.
Mackey is executive director of School Superintendents of Alabama, a group that promotes public education in Alabama around the country, according to its website. He began his career in education as a teacher at Saks High School in Anniston in 1993. He was an assistant principal and a principal in Jacksonville City Schools before becoming superintendent of that system in 2002. He left that job in 2010 to work for School Superintendents of Alabama.
“This selection is, without question, the most important decision entrusted to the current board,” Ivey said. “It was imperative that we make the best selection possible, and I think we have done that.”
The state Board of Education voted by ballot instead of using a voice vote as they have in the past. In August 2016, it took several voice votes for the board to decide on Michael Sentance. Before coming to Alabama, Sentance had been an education consultant in Massachusetts. He served as Alabama’s superintendent for about a year before resigning.
Mackey narrowly beat Pouncey for the job. He received five votes, and Pouncey received four. Gov. Kay Ivey cast her ballot for Mackey. Jeff Newman, Mary Scott Hunter, Betty Peters and Cynthia McCarty also voted for Mackey. Board members Yvette Richardson, Ella Bell, Stephanie Bell and Jackie Ziegler voted for Pouncey.