Ex-Wyoming education chief headed home to Arizona

PHOENIX — A former Arizona state senator who headed Wyoming’s education department before a court reinstated that state’s school superintendent as head of the agency says he’s returning home to Arizona.

Rich Crandall was chosen for the Wyoming job by Gov. Matt Mead last summer, but he left last week after the state’s superintendent reclaimed her job. Crandall says Mead was up-front that there was a chance a court would reinstate Superintendent Cindy Hill after the Legislature and Mead stripped her of her powers.

Crandall resigned from the Arizona Senate to take the Wyoming job.

Crandall says he’s using up vacation days and officially leaves Wyoming state service May 1. He’ll return to Arizona in June and focus on running his family companies, possibly teaching and eventually looking for another education job.