Dr. Barbara Jean Cooper currently works at the Alabama Department of Early Childhood as the director of the office of School Readiness. She leads the First Class Pre-K Program that has been ranked No. 1 in the nation for 14 consecutive years. In 2018, Dr. Cooper was appointed as the Birth through Grade 12 Education Advisor for the Governor’s Office of Education and Workforce Transformation. In this capacity, Dr. Cooper supports Governor Kay Ivey’s Strong Start, Strong Finish education initiatives.