Diane Douglas is fighting, but not for kids

Arizona's charter schools have been stripped of cash, making them feel, I imagine, a lot like the rest of Arizona's public schools.

Broke, that is.

So naturally, state Superintendent Diane Douglas is seizing the reins, taking a stand and fighting for that which is most important to Arizona's school children.

That is, who will control the employees of the state school board.

No, really.

While I was away last week, the longstanding battle for control of the Board of Education staff reached new levels of absurdity as the board's 11 employees up and moved out of Douglas' digs, into the executive tower (read: Gov. Doug Ducey's digs).

They then proceeded to set up new e-mail addresses and even launch a new website, separate from Douglas' operation, away from the apparently snoopy superintendent.

"It was intended to protect them…," board president Greg Miller said, explaining the move. "It was our understanding that people in her administration were monitoring their phone calls and e-mails and everything else. It was not a healthy environment."

Douglas' chief staff countered with a letter of complaint to Ducey's chief of staff, contending the board staff was creating a "hostile work environment" over the at Department of Ed.

Given that, you'd think Team Douglas would be happy to be rid of them.

Instead, after much gnashing of teeth and stomping the feet, Douglas on Friday sued the state Board of Education, demanding that board staffers return to her office and submit to her control.

Hey, it's only money (ours, that would be).

Douglas is asking a Maricopa County Superior Court judge to declare that the employees work for the Department of Education and force them to "submit to the direction of the superintendent."

The board's staff has historically reported to the board, which is (mostly) appointed by the governor. But Douglas has been fighting to seize control of the staff since taking office, contending that state law makes her word law.

Douglas ran for superintendent to get rid of Common Core. Imagine her surprise when she took office in January and figured out that the 11-member Board of Education sets educational standards, not her. And the board has instructed its staff to go forth and implement the standards.

Thus, Douglas' ongoing hissy fit.

Still, Douglas pledges that her ongoing feud won't be a distraction.

"I will continue to focus on improving the education of Arizona's children," she said,

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