US teachers buying fake degrees in order to qualify for a pay rise

[T_i_B]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=518584

Concern is mounting about an apparently growing group of teachers who are essentially buying degrees, usually over the internet, from institutions which pose as bona fide universities but often are anything but. They do it because the higher their qualifications, the higher the salaries they can expect.

Highlighting the problem is a case in Georgia. The state recently audited the educational claims of the 130,000 teachers in its state school system and discovered that 11 had earned salary increases on the basis of degrees achieved at Saint Regis University.

The name sounded good at first, until investigators determined that Saint Regis is little more than diploma-mill that issues impressive looking certificates in return for little or no course work at all. Questions started to be asked when inspectors discovered the university was in the West African nation of Liberia. Similar cases are starting to surface in other states. Authorities in Oregon recently uncovered three teachers who had boasted advanced master's degrees from the University of La Salle in Louisiana. They got away with it because there is a La Salle University on a list of institutions accredited to give such degrees. But that La Salle is in Pennsylvania, not Louisiana.

Part of what is driving the fraud is a new initiative from the Bush White House. Called "Leave no Child Behind", it will require teachers to demonstrate advanced educational credentials in the subjects they specialise in. It comes into effect in 2006, leaving some teachers scrambling to comply.

[lazarus]

1. much ado about little, apparently

11 out of 130,000 is a "growing trend"?

Two points to this: I've seen plenty of teachers who have diplomas from accredited universities who are incompetent.

And...

Isn't it pathetic that we pay our public school teachers so little that they're forced to do this sort of thing?

[physioex]

2. HAHAHAHA...Megadittos.......EOM

[wickerwoman]

5. Exactly. Assuming a person with an MEd is a better teacher

than someone without it, is like assuming everyone with an MFA is James Joyce.

But if I want to move beyond a certain point in my career, I have to waste two years and thousands of dollars getting one. It walks and talks like extortion to me...

[iowa_democrat]

6. Or like

assuming someone who has an MBA from Harvard is a competent manager of anything.


Iowa Democrat

[asteroid2003QQ47]

3. Eat your heart out Thankfully_in_Britain

What part of “fraud” and the “Bush White House” don’t you understand?
Here in the good old US of A we are preparing our students for life after University and it’s the most innovative teachers that are on the cutting edge in that they pass on their values to eager students, thus preparing them for life as good ‘murikins.

[NewHampshireDem]

4. Why is it falling to the state to audit these degrees?

Whenever I move up, I have to submit my transcripts to my (local) school district office. No transcript, no move. You'd think someone would notice that all of a suddent Ms. Jones or Mr. Smith now has a brand new degree, but never seemed to take any courses.

But, I agree with the point that we've put too much pressure and too little financial resources behind demanding that all teachers be "highly qualified." I believe the HQT requirement is sound, but if it means a teacher has to go back to school--and here in NH's courses at the state university cost me $1,500 a pop--we have to make more money available to send those teachers back to school. If you're older and are maybe 7-8 years away from retirement, earning your advanced degree is a zero-sum game because you'll never make up all the money you spent on courses--nevermind the time it takes to actually do the work!