What did Diane Douglas DO to those poor children?

It seems that Arizona's superintendent has ruined – ruined, I tell you -- the prospects that a group of Kingman third graders will pass a standardized math test.

Apparently, the delicate children just could not focus after Superintendent Diane Douglas stood in the doorway of the testing room for all of 30 seconds.

The event was so horrifying that an overwrought Kingman schools official filed a complaint with the state Department of Education, sparking an investigation.

"I am beside myself," Sarka White, Kingman's assessment and professional development director wrote, in an email to DOE.

And you wonder why public schools get no respect in some quarters?

The incident occurred on April 23, when Douglas and her entourage were touring Manzanita School as part of her "listening tour."

The stories of those who were present differ but everyone agrees that at some point during the tour, school officials and Douglas' group wound up outside the computer lab where the test was being given and that Douglas stood in an open doorway for about 30 seconds, silently observing the class.

Cue White's complaint:

"So, we had a visit from Diane Douglass (sic) today at one of our schools. We have AzMERIT signs everywhere including on the Doors to our labs directing people NOT to enter. So, the principal knows and our district staff knows. What does she do?? Disregard the requests and the signs and opens the door and stands in the doorway. Our staff requested that she not enter and disrupt testing and she laughed and tore the door open and entered. Students know she was going to be in the building so the room started talking and the test environment was ruined because of her."

According to Douglas, who had to file a formal response to the complaint, the school principal, Joyce Pietri, opened the door after Douglas had asked if she could observe the testing.

"Sup. (Roger) Jacks and Ms. (Jeri) Wolsey (former principal) discussed that if we entered the testing room an incident report would need to be sent to 'the state'," Douglas wrote. "We quipped that I am from 'the state' and speculated – would they have to report me to me?"

Jacks told The Republic's Cathryn Creno that a student opened the door and that Douglas entered for 20 to 30 seconds.

Back to the beside-herself testing director, who was not present: "What am I supposed to do when even our elected officials will not follow protocol and create a disruption. The reminders to be quiet and not talk to neighbors happened the rest of the testing session. The whole thing was uncalled for. She ridiculed the process and make (sic) my staff feel very uncomfortable. She essentially belittled our students (sic) efforts and that group of students was not given the same testing experience as others."

White goes on to say that "students where (sic) not geared towards testing after that and some asked to leave the room to go see our elected official" .

"I would like to pursue this as far as I can," she said, in her e-mail to DOE's achievement testing state test coordinator.

The most shocking part of this story? White was required to report Douglas' disruption. State policy dictates that such major upheavals as Douglas briefly peering into a classroom during standardized testing be reported, as such horrifying experiences can apparently invalidate test results.

Because common sense can't possibly apply when it comes to public school bureaucracy.

This week, after an investigation, the state Department of Education decreed that Manzanita's test scores will count and that no further action will be required and now wasn't that a good use of taxpayer money?

Oh, the relief. But the poor children.

How will they ever get over it?