Pass the popcorn, folks—or maybe the nachos and beer, depending on your choice of couch-side refreshments as you watch your favorite sport. For political junkies like me who prefer political sparring to sports, this looks like the first few minutes of a classic matchup.
Ed Supe Diane Douglas fired two Board of Education employees. Then Ducey reinstated them and the Board of Ed agreed, with Douglas casting the only dissenting vote. Douglas made a semi-conciliatory statement in a press conference, and some people reported that as a sign she was backing down. How they got that impression after reading her bare-knuckles press release accusing Ducey of refusing to take her calls, saying he’d created a “shadow faction of charter school operators” and claiming he was hoping for low state test scores to drive students to charters, I’ll never know. Them’s fighting words, not the statement of someone who’s making nice.
The reinstated employees returned to work Tuesday. Douglas could have blocked the door like George Wallace when he tried to stop school integration, or she could have barred them from their computers, but she didn’t. Instead, she let the board employees in, then insisted that they couldn’t discuss education matters with the rest of the staff and, more important, had to report directly to her, not to the board. That’s not backing down. Backing down would have been if she tried to block their way and failed. That’s changing tactics in an attempt to better her position.
It turned out to be a clever tactical move, because it forced the Board of Education to react.
In a response delivered Tuesday evening, attorney Mary O’Grady, who represents the board, told Douglas attorney Steve Tully that the board has concerns with Douglas’ requests of the two employees. She emphasized that Thompson and Vazquez work for the board and that Douglas cannot direct their work in a way that undermines the board’s duties and authority.
“Just as you noted that you will oppose efforts to undermine the Superintendent’s statutory authority, the Board will also oppose efforts to undermine its authority or any failure to adhere to the Superintendent’s responsibilities to implement the policies established by the board,” O’Grady wrote.
O’Grady emphatically rejected Douglas’ insistence that Thompson and Vazquez must report directly to her.
“The Feb. 16 letter asserts that Ms. Thompson and Ms. Vazquez ‘report to Superintendent Douglas.’ No, they don’t,” O’Grady said, referencing Tully’s letter to her on Monday.
Score one for Douglas. Now the ball is in Ducey and the Board’s court, and they find themselves in a tough spot. Do they tell the employees to defy Douglas and go over her head to the board, rousing her supporters in an open fight against the Republican establishment? And if they do, what will Douglas’ counter-move be? No one has any idea. I imagine Ducey and board president Greg Miller are saying to each other, “Holy crap, what do we do now? We’re not dealing with a Democrat here!”
Douglas is giving the Republican establishment the same fits Ted Cruz is giving to Republican congressional leadership. She won’t quit. She won’t stop. She won’t back down. She just keeps coming back, again and again, mixing up her plays unpredictably, changing tactics to suit the moment. It’s like what Republicans have done to Democrats every day since Obamacare was proposed. It’s like what Arizona Republicans have done to Democrats every day ever since the Redistricting Commission created state legislative and U.S. congressional districts that weren’t weighted in favor or Republicans. Fight, fight, fight. Mix things up. If you give an inch, take back two.
It’s great fun for Republicans when they’re making Democrats squirm, especially because it usually results in some kind of victory, large or small. But it’s not so much fun when Republicans find themselves in a fight against other Republicans schooled in the same tactics and with the same “Don’t take No for an answer” attitude.
My nachos are gone, I’m on my second beer, and it’s not even the end of the first quarter. I probably should pace myself here. Nah, this is just too much fun.
This article appears in Feb 19-25, 2015.
Could be worse, they fight like democraps.
Demos let Biden molest employees and say nothing. Get real folks.
Why would you mock free thinkers within a party? That is why I will not vote democrat again. There are no new ideas. They have proven over and over the old ones don’t work, yet they have no new thought processes.
Republicreeps haven’t had a new idea since Lincoln.
Difference David W between free thinkers and crazy thinkers. I think following Fox, Rush and Hannity and the Republican party line does not qualify you to evaluate a good thinker in any way, manner or form. I know what those pundits are saying because Republicans ALL SAY THE SAME THINGS. THey generally devalue people and value money more than life. Prisons are more important than children… and the beat goes on.
Robin,did you even READ the article? Stop hating and try thinking. You will be a better person.
You missed my point entirely David W. So I will let you think whatever you think about me. Power struggles in a party is not ‘free thinking’. You justified the power plays no less.
Did it occur to you that the children are completely lost in this game between them? THe original argument was over what is best for the children.
David W, a question. Do you think I’m mocking Diane Douglas? Read it again. I’m pointing out that she is making politically savvy moves, which are driving Ducey and his friends crazy. Cruz, who I think is a fool ideologically, is a very, very smart guy and a gonzo strategist who also drives the Republican establishment crazy.
Surprisingly enough, I’ve been heaping more praise than scorn on Douglas lately. See, for instance, Reading Diane Douglas’ “State of Education” Tea Leaves. http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archi…. Lots of the things she’s said since she’s been in office are commendable.
Anyone that gives Ducey a headache, I’m all for.
One of the many things that are utterly hilarious in the battle between Ducey and Douglas is the fact that Douglas, a complete political neophyte, is driving Ducey and his minions nuts. They have no idea how to counter what she is doing. She will not subjugate herself to what Ducey wants and exposes the link between Ducey and his lobbyists friends.
Six weeks into his administration and Ducey has made some exceptionally poor choices for department heads. Greg McKay for child safety. McKay has no management skills whatsoever and has been covertly asking employees to give him “information” on some employees so he can fire them.
Tim Jeffries is a lobbyist Ducey appointed to head DES.
And where are the goals for better education and better schools in all this political infighting? I have just finished 3 days of volunteering in a school this week. Nothing done in Phoenix between these two has had any relevance to the real and serious issues teachers and site administrators have to deal with on an hourly, let alone daily, basis while trying to educate children coming from a socioeconomic background which does not and frequently can not prepare them to learn the topics of the Common Core or any other curriculum. Could we get back to doing the job for the children?
Good going David –
You captured the atmosphere just right. My real concern is that all this comes at the expense of the kids. Here’s the other thing that really stokes my flames – different subject, but same BS. When a state legislator/or family member has a vested-financial interest in Charter schools they should abstain from voting on any measure that strip dollars from traditional public schools and into the coffers of privately own charters. Wake Up ARIZONA! This foolishness, bordering on outright theivery is happening while our eyes are WIDE OPEN! http://www.ArizonaStandsUP.org
David I have watched and READ your trashing of all elected republicans in the last few months. Including Douglas. How about some love for the Gov on dropping AIMS testing? He put the pubs on an even keel with charters and privates.
I need not remind you that the dems nor NEA ever accomplished that.
I do not know why anyone in the current administration is taking credit for getting rid of the AIMS. Last year that was decided and PARCC is coming in this spring which does test the Common Core standards. THere is not a big difference between the AIMS and the PARCC that I can tell but I have not seen the PARCC . http://www.parcconline.org/student-looks-f…
Excuse me, this decision was made in 2013 originally but they modified the administration date of the PARCC in 2014 if I am following the timeline correctly and it will be given this spring. It is replacing the AIMS.