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Republican Jeana Ross of Guntersville, who served as secretary of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education in the cabinets of two governors, announced on Monday her candidacy for the House District 27 seat that became vacant when State Rep. Wes Kitchens, R – Arab, won a Senate special election.
“As a career educator, continuing Alabama’s improvements in our public schools is a passion of mine, but I will also focus on other important issues like combatting illegal immigration, creating jobs, and protecting our traditional morals and conservative values,” Ross said. “I believe strongly that if we begin teaching our children essential life skills at an early age, they will be prepared to fill long-lasting, well-paying, 21st Century jobs as adults, which keeps Alabama’s economy growing well into the future .”
Ross led the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education from 2012 until her retirement in 2020 and earned the state’s “First Class” pre-kindergarten program recognition as the best in the nation for the 14th consecutive year.
The availability of quality early childhood education programs grew from 217 classrooms when she took office in 2012 to 1,250 classrooms across all 67 counties when she ended her tenure in 2020 – an increase of 470 percent.
Ross began her 26-year career in public education as an elementary school classroom teacher in Jackson County in 1975, and, after taking a break to start a family, later moved into administrative positions in the Marshall County, Boaz City, and Madison County school systems.
A committed Christian conservative, Ross is a former chair of the Marshall County Republican Party, served on the Alabama Republican Party executive committee, and has helped elect dozens of Republican candidates to state and local offices.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a master’s degree in education leadership from the University of Alabama.
Ross and her husband, Carey, have two sons and twin grandchildren.
Gov. Kay Ivey has not yet announced dates for the House District 27 special election.
