Diane Douglas To Present Arizona K-12 Education Fix

Arizona’s top school official has rolled out her plan to fix the state’s struggling K-12 school system, and it includes eliminating the state’s Common Core standards.

The board has a committee that is charged with reviewing Common Core standards, but it isn’t expected to complete recommendations on changes until next year.

Douglas’ plan also calls for ending common core, making improvements to standards, and reduce standardized testing as a whole.

“Our education policy is too often set in whatever funding is left behind and by the latest fad in pedagogy”, she said. “We should have the same culturally rich, inclusive instruction in Window Rock, Scottsdale, Yuma and Tucson”.

The lawsuit seeks a declaration that Douglas is breaking the law by failing to execute board policies and orders requiring her to comply.

The board has been trying to get remote computer access to teacher files Douglas controls since it moved out of her offices in May.

The board is additionally suing over Douglas’ “disappointment” to bring down the board’s old site, which is kept up by the office, and sidetrack online activity to the board’s new site.

While Douglas can change a few administrative issues in her role overseeing the Department of Education, her main job is directing money allocated to schools and implementing policy adopted by the Board of Education. And Starr said that since Douglas was not firing anyone, at least not at the time, there was no basis for her to rule on whether the schools chief actually has that right.

Douglas unveiled part of her plan earlier this month, calling for an immediate $400 million to be spent on Arizona’s teachers.

The controversial Douglas will present the plan at the Phoenix Art Museum at 4:30 p.m.

Diane Douglas speaks to an audience member after a speech she gave at the East Valley Institute in Mesa, Ariz.