In Arizona, education spending is the largest part of the state’s budget, so it comes as no surprise to anyone that Governor Doug Ducey wants complete control of the school system. To that end, Ducey is pushing SB1416, which will essentially strip the powers from the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and hand them over to Ducey’s appointed State Board of Education.
Can you blame him though? He is merely trying to wrestle the education of our precious children away from our elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas, an “out-of-control” female, keeping her campaign promises for God’s sake. Because we are talking Arizona, and Arizona is best known for its colorful politicians like The World’s Toughest Sheriff and the Scorpion Woman, it comes as no surprise that the always friendly former ice cream-salesman-turned-governor would have to rein in a rogue representative of the people.
The narrative is: 1) the hostile Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas can’t get along with Governor Ducey, the affable Good Humor-type guy; 2) the Legislature has to be the adults and pass legislation to bring peace, and 3) all will be well when the far-from-calm-heads on the State Board of Education can work stealthily in peace to implement Ducey’s agenda.
The truth is: 1) from before she occupied the office, the chambers of commerce began to marginalize the anti-Common Core Douglas, 2) the Legislature must codify Ducey’s power grab; and 3) if passed, the corporate charter school controlled State Board of Education can work in the dark to implement Ducey’s privatizing agenda.
That sounds paranoid, right? Probably. But, for those who listened to the same narrator, the same attack, the same tricks, and watched the implementation of the same play from the same “play book” used in Wyoming by Governor Matt Mead on State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Cindy Hill, a couple years back, it is all too real.
Weaken the office holder so they can’t defend the office
When anti-Common Core candidate, Cindy Hill, became the 21st Wyoming State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Governor Mead and his chamber cronies were beside themselves. Common Core was essential in turning schools from places of learning and exploration into publically funded human resource centers.
At the time, the anti-Common Core movement was comprised mostly of conservatives. So it was easy to portray it as a product of paranoid minds that saw commies in every closet and under every bed. As its full intent was understood by liberal educators and public school proponents, the movement grew.
So what is that intent? One Wisconsin school superintendent summed up the agenda perfectly in testimony before that state’s Assembly. He told lawmakers that his community didn’t need kids who could read the classics; they needed kids who could read technical manuals in order for the largest area employer; a snow blower manufacturer, to beat his Chinese competition.
No longer do we want to develop minds that can invent the next best snow blower, we only want minds that can understand that bolt “B” fits into socket “C” …. and to do so for less than 10 bucks an hour.
Hill, a stubborn public education advocate, withstood the false inflammatory claims made against her by Mead operatives, and actually started to gain support from even former liberal opponents. Of course she would. They watched her defend their classrooms and give voice to their opposition to the Common Core-related high stakes testing against the red-faced Mead.
Mead, a former federal prosecutor with a short man’s complex, then turned to his boys in the State’s legislature and Arizona’s. He enlisted the establishment lawmakers to pass a law which would strip Hill of her duties. He then brought in the ethically challenged Arizona Senator Rich Crandall to take over those duties. Crandall, whose time in an Arizona office was expected to be short thanks to an audio recording of his threats against a female fellow lawmaker, was happy to take the job.
In short order Crandall moved in, and Hill sued. Minus Crandall, the situation is almost identical to the situation currently playing out in Arizona. The Wyoming Supreme Court decided in favor of Hill, and Crandall was sent packing only to land in Colorado working for Governor Hickenlooper, who didn’t have to deal with an elected education officer.
Ducey benefits from Mead’s missteps
The key difference between Hill and Douglas is that Ducey might benefit from Mead’s mistakes. Should SB1416 pass, the court’s ruling will surely arrive later. In other words, Ducey is short-circuiting the protections provided by one branch of government by using another.
In the end, while the court spared the only duly elected office in the state of Wyoming dedicated to education, the people of Arizona will likely lose theirs because the National Governors Association members are quick studies with unlimited resources.
The people can’t compete. Because the teachers unions across the country have been crushed by the Council of Chief State School Officers, and the National School Board Association among others, there is virtually no organized opposition to the takeover. Unions, desperate to cut deals for their own survival must take neutral positions on the issues or risk being denied desperately needed funding. Especially in states like Arizona where the administrative class is getting rich and the teachers are getting poorer.
Another difference between Mead and Ducey is that Ducey, and his compadres in the Legislature ran against Common Core. So why do they work against the Superintendent of Public Instruction every chance they get? Why does the appointed State Board of Education look just like it did under the pro-Common Core Brewer, aka Scorpion Woman? Because, 1) Ducey was dishonest; and 2) he and the boys don’t care what standards are used as long as the chambers get what they need. What do they need? Data, and drones. Why data and drones? Because you can use the data to sell the drones any crappy thing you produce.
The courts of justice are far better than the courts of public opinion
Years ago, Arizona was admired for the fact that so many school issues were resolved by the justice courts and not the courts of public opinion. Ducey has changed that. From his very public and ugly attacks on State Treasurer Jeff DeWit, who dared to question his school funding scam, to his attacks on Douglas, Ducey and his boys have played the press like a fiddle.
There is now concern that a weary public is losing interest and the steam required to preserve one of the few remaining state level elected offices.
For her part, Hill is not losing steam. Now that she has left office and settled into private life, she can sue legislators, who are still smearing her in their effort to hold onto their offices. That’s right; those legislators who helped Mead in his power grab are at risk of losing theirs, and in their defense they are attacking her. As a public person she had no protections in law against the attacks, but as a private citizen she is afforded protection. So just last week, she filed a defamation suit against Rep. Timothy Stubson.
Thanks to our dear governor, the court of public opinion is the only venue we have. Douglas easily survived a recall launched against her, so she will not have those protections for at least two years. She – and we- will have to endure the lies until Ducey and his crew get what they want or the public demands an end.
The public can demand an end by contacting lawmakers and asking them to reject SB1416. On the other hand, they can throw in the towel and cede the schools to cloaked corporations once and for all. It is their call – the ball is in their court.
Related articles:
Arizona Senate Leaders Rely On Misinformation In Letter To Douglas, Miller
AZ Education Board Chair Miller Attacks Superintendent Douglas
Dial Bill Targets Elected Office Of Superintendent Of Public Instruction
Douglas Recall Petitions Officially Rejected
Douglas Exposes Dangerous Failures Of State Board Of Education
Hill will go back to work Monday, Crandall could be looking for work
Crandall forced out of AZ Senate, abandons office for Wyoming
WY Ed head, AZ senator, Crandall caught in lie
Crandall “loving Wyoming” won’t resign from Arizona Senate yet