For the second time in a row, Diane Douglas' chair at the Arizona State Board of Education meeting has sat unoccupied.
The superintendent of public instruction has missed yet another meeting, and her empty chair speaks volumes to fellow board members.
"It's frustrating, it's wrong," Reginald Ballantyne, vice president of the Arizona State Board of Education, said. "The word earlier was regrettable and if there is an obligation of an elected official to participate in activities that are designed to drive education forward this is getting to the point of being ludicrous."
Through a spokesperson, Douglas provided a statement which reads in part: "The Superintendent sits on several education boards and commissions. She is not always able to attend every meeting..."
The statement adds that the day's agenda was "once again full of items that will not positively impact Arizona students. As a result, the Superintendent decided to make finalizing her comprehensive education plan her priority..."
Monday's agenda included items related to the national school lunch program, Arizona's math and English standards, high school graduation requirements and revoking the certificate of an elementary school teacher.
James William Giannopoulos plead guilty to sexual exploitation and attempted molestation of a child, and the members acted, without Douglas present, and revoked the man's license.
