Textbook Secrets Under Fire | Birmingham News

Birmingham AL News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 12, 2026 · 1m

A former Alabama State Textbook Committee member is demanding radical reform, blasting the system for its total lack of transparency. Meetings are closed to the public, and members are legally barred from revealing how they rate textbooks until contracts are signed — creating a secrecy bubble ripe for hidden agendas. The controversy erupted after Emily Eddings-Sandley, a pro-LGBTQ+ charter school staffer, was appointed without going through official channels, with no explanation from the education department. Another former member, Allen Mendenhall, claims he was abruptly removed without…