Disputes between Superintendent Douglas and the Arizona Board of Education began in February 2015, when Douglas attempted to fire two board employees. After Gov. Doug Ducey (R) said that Douglas did not have the authority to fire the employees, the board voted to restore the employees to their positions. Douglas was the lone dissenting vote. In response, she filed a lawsuit against the Board of Education, claiming that the Board's actions were against the law. The lawsuit was later dismissed in July by Judge Patricia Starr.

Tensions continued and the situation escalated in August 2015, when Douglas claimed that Board President Greg Miller physically assaulted her during a board meeting. After the meeting, Douglas filed a formal complaint with the Department of Safety. According to reports, Miller grabbed Douglas's microphone when she began speaking out of turn during a public board meeting. Miller claims that he was merely trying to move her microphone and that he did not touch her.

After that, the Board of Education unanimously decided to file two lawsuits of its own against Douglas. The first suit is over Douglas' refusal to grant board investigators remote access to teacher files. The second lawsuit was authorized in the event that Douglas refuses to take down the board's old website and redirect traffic to their new website. There is also ongoing speculation that a third lawsuit could be filed over the hiring of a new board of education staff member to replace three outgoing board employees.

For a more detailed account of the disputes between Douglas and the Board, including a timeline of events, please .

Douglas and Gov. Doug Ducey (R) debated the proposed firing of two employees of the Arizona Board of Education in February 2015. Douglas, who campaigned on eliminating Common Core standards from the state curriculum, sought to remove board employees Christine Thompson and Sabrina Vazquez on February 11. A letter sent by department legal counsel Stephen Tully indicated that the duo were fired for not reporting to Douglas rather than their efforts to stop the repeal of new standards. Thompson and Vazquez were locked out of their offices until Gov. Ducey intervened on February 12, arguing that Douglas did not have power to remove board employees. The board also voted to restore Thompson and Vazquez on February 13, with Douglas as the only dissenting vote.

In response, Douglas countered that Ducey should not have intervened in the matter in a press release with the title, "Arizona Superintendent of Public Schools Diane Douglas Did Not See Doug Ducey's Name on the Ballot for State Superintendent." State Sen. Kelli Ward (R) has proposed a change to state law that would leave decisions on board personnel to other board members rather than the superintendent. One of the officials in question, Executive Director of the Board of Education Christine Thompson, announced that she would step down, effective November 6, 2015.

Board member, Peoria Unified School District

Before she was elected as the state superintendent, Douglas served as a member of the Governing Board of the Peoria Unified School District.

Anthony Espinoza, an elementary school teacher in Phoenix, first broached the subject of recalling Douglas by creating a Recall Diane Douglas Facebook page in November 2014. Espinoza later created a website for the recall effort, which made the following arguments for removing Douglas from office:

The Coalition to Recall Diane Douglas filed political committee paperwork with the Arizona secretary of state on November 24, 2014. The state prohibits circulation of recall petitions until six months after an official takes office, which means that the recall effort could not start until July 2015.

On December 1, 2015, the Arizona Republic reported that the coalition had not yet reached 100,000 signatures by the time of the article's publication, far short of the 366,000 needed by December 30, 2015. This was according to a press release issued by the coalition. At the same time, the organization said more than 1,000 volunteers in the state were working to collect signatures at the time of the announcement.

Nevertheless, the coalition remained optimistic and insisted that its members would continue counting and collecting signatures until the very last possible day. After December 30, 2015, the Arizona secretary of state's office had a week to count the signatures. Then county officials had 60 days to validate the signatures.

However, Max Goshert, the leader of the campaign to recall Douglas, said on December 30 that the effort had failed. He reported that the campaign had collected 40,000 signatures.

The Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction is an elected state executive position in the Arizona state government. The superintendent oversees the state of Arizona's public school system and directs the state's Department of Education.

Douglas was first elected as the Arizona superintendent of public instruction in 2014. She was sworn into office on January 5, 2015, succeeding single-term Superintendent John Huppenthal (R), who was ousted by Douglas in the Republican primary on August 26, 2014. Douglas lost in the Republican primary on August 28, 2018.

Recall effort

Anthony Espinoza, an elementary school teacher in Phoenix, first broached the subject of recalling Douglas by creating a Recall Diane Douglas Facebook page in November 2014. Espinoza later created a website for the recall effort, which made the following arguments for removing Douglas from office:

The Coalition to Recall Diane Douglas filed political committee paperwork with the Arizona secretary of state on November 24, 2014. The state prohibits circulation of recall petitions until six months after an official takes office, which means that the recall effort could not start until July 2015.

On December 1, 2015, the Arizona Republic reported that the coalition had not yet reached 100,000 signatures by the time of the article's publication, far short of the 366,000 needed by December 30, 2015. This was according to a press release issued by the coalition. At the same time, the organization said more than 1,000 volunteers in the state were working to collect signatures at the time of the announcement.

Nevertheless, the coalition remained optimistic and insisted that its members would continue counting and collecting signatures until the very last possible day. After December 30, 2015, the Arizona secretary of state's office had a week to count the signatures. Then county officials had 60 days to validate the signatures.

However, Max Goshert, the leader of the campaign to recall Douglas, said on December 30 that the effort had failed. He reported that the campaign had collected 40,000 signatures.

Disputes with the Arizona School Board

Disputes between Superintendent Douglas and the Arizona Board of Education began in February 2015, when Douglas attempted to fire two board employees. After Gov. Doug Ducey (R) said that Douglas did not have the authority to fire the employees, the board voted to restore the employees to their positions. Douglas was the lone dissenting vote. In response, she filed a lawsuit against the Board of Education, claiming that the Board's actions were against the law. The lawsuit was later dismissed in July by Judge Patricia Starr.

Tensions continued and the situation escalated in August 2015, when Douglas claimed that Board President Greg Miller physically assaulted her during a board meeting. After the meeting, Douglas filed a formal complaint with the Department of Safety. According to reports, Miller grabbed Douglas's microphone when she began speaking out of turn during a public board meeting. Miller claims that he was merely trying to move her microphone and that he did not touch her.

After that, the Board of Education unanimously decided to file two lawsuits of its own against Douglas. The first suit is over Douglas' refusal to grant board investigators remote access to teacher files. The second lawsuit was authorized in the event that Douglas refuses to take down the board's old website and redirect traffic to their new website. There is also ongoing speculation that a third lawsuit could be filed over the hiring of a new board of education staff member to replace three outgoing board employees.

For a more detailed account of the disputes between Douglas and the Board, including a timeline of events, please .

Dispute with Gov. Doug Ducey

Douglas and Gov. Doug Ducey (R) debated the proposed firing of two employees of the Arizona Board of Education in February 2015. Douglas, who campaigned on eliminating Common Core standards from the state curriculum, sought to remove board employees Christine Thompson and Sabrina Vazquez on February 11. A letter sent by department legal counsel Stephen Tully indicated that the duo were fired for not reporting to Douglas rather than their efforts to stop the repeal of new standards. Thompson and Vazquez were locked out of their offices until Gov. Ducey intervened on February 12, arguing that Douglas did not have power to remove board employees. The board also voted to restore Thompson and Vazquez on February 13, with Douglas as the only dissenting vote.

In response, Douglas countered that Ducey should not have intervened in the matter in a press release with the title, "Arizona Superintendent of Public Schools Diane Douglas Did Not See Doug Ducey's Name on the Ballot for State Superintendent." State Sen. Kelli Ward (R) has proposed a change to state law that would leave decisions on board personnel to other board members rather than the superintendent. One of the officials in question, Executive Director of the Board of Education Christine Thompson, announced that she would step down, effective November 6, 2015.

Before she was elected as the state superintendent, Douglas served as a member of the Governing Board of the Peoria Unified School District.

Recall effort

Douglas was the subject of a recall attempt over her opposition to a one-cent sales tax increase intended to benefit education and healthcare.

About the office

The Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction is an elected state executive position in the Arizona state government. The superintendent oversees the state of Arizona's public school system and directs the state's Department of Education.