Glenda Ritz says movement afoot to oust her as ed board chairwoman

After a meeting Wednesday to resolve infighting on the state board of education, schools chief Glenda Ritz accused the governor's education officials of trying to overthrow her leadership — an accusation the governor's office denied.

"Their goal," said Ritz, "is to remove me as the chair in legislative session and, if not that way, then doing it through the board operating procedures."

As state superintendent of public instruction, Ritz chairs the board. But Ritz, a Democrat, has increasingly clashed with other board members, who were appointed by Republican Gov. Mike Pence and his GOP predecessor.

In apparent support of her contention, the Department of Education released a policy document Wednesday from the governor's Center for Education and Career Innovation – an agency that's at the root, she has said, of her conflict with Pence.

The document, sent between CECI officials in October, calls the superintendent's chairmanship of the board a "problem."

In most other states, the education department's leader does not also lead the education board. The document says the governor should have the power to appoint the board chair because of the heft of the education budget and its importance.

The "solution" proposed in the CECI document is to change state law to allow the governor to name a chair from the board's appointed members.

"The statute is silent as to the chair's specific duties and responsibilities," the document said. "However, the chair is currently interpreting the role of chair very broadly to give her the discretion to accept or reject agenda items and motions suggested by board members."

That echoes several board members' complaints about Ritz, who ended a November meeting by walking out amid discord.

CECI spokeswoman Lou Ann Baker dismissed the proposal as "an early iteration of policy ideas" that are no longer among the agency's recommendations.

Pence spokeswoman Kara Brooks called Ritz's accusation "ridiculous" and said the governor "squashed the idea immediately" when it was brought to him in early October.

She added that Pence told Ritz in a private meeting last week that he did not intend to revise the statute to appoint the board chair.

The governor was not available for further comment.

Ritz's office also released drafted legislation that would move student data from the Department of Education's purview to the education board's.

The day's events included more than one new twist in the ongoing drama over control of Indiana's education policy.

First, the board members couldn't agree on how to discuss their disagreements. Ritz, who earlier sued board members for allegedly acting outside of a public meeting, decided this meeting would not be an official public meeting.

And, finally, after Ritz said she was pleased about Wednesday's peacemaking attempt, she launched her latest attack.

During the meeting

A national association mediated Wednesday's session of the Indiana State Board of Education, but board members couldn't ask each other questions or discuss the veryproblems that put them in that room.

Some board members — including Tony Walker, Sarah O'Brien and Dan Elsener — expressed frustrations about the limitations placed on them when Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz decided the meeting format.

"Frankly, it's been a bit of a three-ring circus under the superintendent's chairmanship," Elsener told a Star reporter.

"The exact issues that we're trying to resolve, we can't talk about," Walker said. "All the issues we're struggling with will not be worked out today."

Ritz countered that she and Gov. Mike Pence decided to have an orientation session instead of a public meeting: "I'm simply doing what the governor suggested to me."

That decision prohibited board members from taking any action, receiving information, discussing business or proposing amendments to board procedures.

Ritz said she was working with Pence to clarify board procedures. And even that provoked the ire of some board members.

"If you would just start having discussions with us instead of having discussions with the governor, who is not here, we wouldn't have to be here right now," Walker said.

Kristen Amundson, executive director of the National Association of State Boards of Education, mediated. She recommended that the board use a parliamentarian, encouraged them to consult with attorneys and said the board should be able to appeal a decision by the chair.

"If we just follow the rules ... we shouldn't have any problems," Walker said. "There's no reason not to follow them now."

The board adjourned without deciding whether they will hold another meeting to delve into procedural questions before a scheduled Dec. 20 meeting.

Also Wednesday, a group of four citizens revisited whether board members violated the Open Door Law by signing onto a letter to lawmakers by email. They filed a complaint in Marion Superior/Circuit Court asking for a declaration of a violation, injunction against future violations and voiding of any action taken.

The public access counselor has previously said he could not determine whether a violation had occurred, but warned against the public perception of the emails.

Call Star reporter Stephanie Wang at (317) 444-6184. Follow her on Twitter: @stephaniewang.