State school board picks Eric Mackey as state schools chief; Murphy to stay in Hoover

The Alabama Board of Education today selected Eric Mackey, the executive director for the School Superintendents of Alabama, as the next leader for the Alabama Department of Education.

Mackey won the position over Hoover schools Superintendent Kathy Murphy and Jefferson County Superintendent Craig Pouncey. A fourth finalist, former Texas education Commissioner Robert Scott pulled his name from consideration.

The state school board spent about an hour interviewing each of the finalists today before rating them and voting on a top pick with ballots.

Five members of the board — Mary Scott Hunter, Gov. Kay Ivey, Cynthia Sanders McCarty, Jeffrey Newman and Betty Peters — chose Mackey as their top pick for state superintendent. The other four — Ella Bell, Stephanie Bell, Yvette Richardson and Jackie Zeigler — named Pouncey as their top choice. The board then voted 8-1 to appoint Mackey to the job.

Mackey said he was pleased with the vote and looks forward to working with the state board. Ivey said a contract will be negotiated and presented to the board for approval on May 10. She asked Mackey if he would be ready to go to work on May 14, and he said yes.

Meanwhile, Murphy said she would have loved to serve as state superintendent and she trusted that it was God’s will for her to apply for the job, but she is absolutely delighted for Mackey.

“He will be an outstanding state superintendent,” Murphy said. “I’m looking forward to working with him in his new capacity.”

She reiterated that her application for the state superintendent job had nothing to do with any discontent with her job in Hoover.

“It had to do with being able to serve children at a larger platform,” she said. “I’ll be sliding right back into Hoover. I’m all in with Hoover, and I’m delighted to continue to serve in Hoover. … We’ll pick back up and carry right on.”