For years, Arizonans interested in K-12 education have been calling on Governor Doug Ducey to replace members of the State Board of Education, who terms of service had expired. On Monday, he finally got around to doing it.
The Governor named replacements for Calvin Baker (term expired 1/18/2020), Jill Broussard (term expired 1/17/2022), Michele Kaye (1/18/2021), Janice Mak (1/20/2020), Luke Narducci (1/18/2021), Armando Ruiz (1/17/2022), and Patricia Welborn (1/18/2021). It is unknown as to why an appointee to replace Board member Daniel Corr was not named. Corr’s term expired on 1/18/2021.
Ducey replaced them with some of the least impressive figures from K-12 education in Arizona, including Dr. Scott Hagerman and Jacqui Clay, who currently serves as the Cochise County Superintendent of Schools.
Ducey also chose Doug Goodyear and Gregg Brewster to join the Arizona Board of Regents. One Capitol insider described Goodyear as “one of Ducey’s political guys,” and Brewster as “someone the Governor owned a plum job to.”
While the Arizona Board of Regents, the governing body for the state’s public universities, is considered by many taxpayers to be a failed organization, an appointment to it brings considerable access and privilege.
The Governor selected the following individuals to serve on the State Board of Education:
Jason Catanese
Jenny Clark
Jacqui Clay
Dr. Scott Hagerman
Katherine Haley
Julia Meyerson
Karla Phillips-Krivickas
“I have always found it very disturbing that our legislators has given the unelected, unaccountable State Board of Education so much and ever increasing authority over education policy,” said former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas. “Even more disturbing is that two members terms expired over 2 years ago and for over a year the terms of a majority of the board’s members have been expired. I can’t help but question the legality of any of the policies or administrative rules adopted and contracts entered into by this board since January 19, 2021. It speaks volumes to me, and should to the citizens of Arizona, that the State Board of Ed, with so much authority of education, is of such little regard that the expiration of the terms of eight members of an eleven member board was disregarded for so long by the Governor and the Senate Education Committee.”
The current Senate Education Committee agenda does not include a confirmation hearing as required in ARS 38-211.