Christine Thompson may be most known for the drama that very publicly unfolded when Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas in 2015. But over the past four years she also experienced a different sort of “whirlwind."

Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas is advocating for a permanent extension and expansion of Proposition 301, a sales tax to fund public education that expires after 2020.

Gov. Doug Ducey is defending controversial legislation he sought - and is expected to sign -which would allow more people without formal teacher training to lead a public school classroom.

Two more candidates have joined the 2018 race for superintendent of public instruction, and neither challenger to Republican Diane Douglas had kind words for the incumbent.

Four weeks into the 2016 school year, more than 2,000 teacher positions in Arizona were still unfilled. One way lawmakers and Gov. Doug Ducey want to address the problem: Make it easier to become a teacher.

Ducey’s assurance isn’t enough, said Douglas’s spokesman, Stefan Swiat. The department wants the governor’s office and the Arizona Legislature to publicly spell out how much exactly they will set aside for the IT needs, he said.

The state Department of Education is warning that schools may not get their $5 billion in federal and state aid next school year unless the governor and legislature come up with more cash to run the computers that figure out who gets what.

When Frank Riggs aspired to become governor in 2014, many observers questioned why he did not instead run for superintendent of public instruction, given his education-centric campaign and anti-Common Core yard signs.

Arizona will require public schools to teach cursive handwriting as one of a number of new education standards approved by the state Board of Education.

Various interest groups and Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas are making known their education spending priorities.