Judge's ruling doesn't end Diane Douglas' legal tantrum

Arizona ranks dead last in state funding for public schools. Record numbers of Arizona teachers are leaving the classroom and there's a nasty rumor running around the nation that our leaders don't value public education. (I can't imagine why.)

Naturally, Arizona's state superintendent of public instruction is on the job, focused and intent …

…on continuing her four-month squabble with the state Board of Education.

Shovel yet another load of legal fees onto the backs of Arizona's taxpayers. You, know, the people who wind up paying for both sides when our esteemed leaders throw their legal tantrums?

Taxpayers just found themselves presented with a $1.5 million bill for Republican legislators' failed lawsuit targeting the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. Not only did we have to pay to challenge the law and to defend the law, we had to pay for an entourage of our leaders and their aides to travel to Washington to watch as their case was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court.

And wasn't that a good use of our money?

Now, it's state Superintendent Diane Douglas, in a snit and poised to appeal a Maricopa County Superior Court judge's ruling that she has no power to control the state Board of Education's staff.

Since February, Douglas has been trying to fire the board's executive director, Christine Thompson, and assistant executive director, Sabrina Vazquez, who has since left to work elsewhere. (I can't imagine why…)

Douglas has deemed the pair of them liberals and believes they stand in the way of her campaign vow to repeal Common Core. Never mind that as one member of the 11-member Board of Education she has no actual power to repeal Common Core.

Gov. Doug Ducey told Douglas she couldn't fire the pair because they work for the board, not her. He then proceeded to allow the board's staff to move into the Executive Tower to escape Douglas' dominion.

So naturally, Douglas stamped her foot and marched off to court to file the inevitable lawsuit, funded by you-know-who.

Last week, Judge Patricia Starr dismissed Douglas' lawsuit, ruling that state law gives the board the power to hire and fire its staff – not the state superintendent.

"The Board's enumerated powers and duties include employing staff on the recommendation of the Superintendent, prescribing the duties of its employees and delegating to the superintendent the execution of board policies and rules," she wrote.

She declined to order the board's staff to return to the Department of Education Building as Douglas has demanded, deeming it a political spat.

Douglas was not amused and immediately fired off a letter warning the board not to fill a couple of vacant staff positions.

"As the executive officer of the Board, any hiring of Board employees needs to be performed under my direction…," she wrote. "I cannot recommend the hiring of any Board employees as long as the current employees are working illegally outside my direction."

Meanwhile, her attorney vowed to "respond accordingly" to the lawsuit.

Which means taxpayers will pay accordingly.

Meanwhile, the schools …