Thursday, February 09, 2012

Dog gets high school diploma as so-called 'degree mills' flourish under Texas law

For those who believe privatization and choice are the solutions to all of our problems...

This from KHOU:

What if we told you that your family dog could graduate from school? Not obedience school, but a program that awards high school diplomas. Sound incredible?



It’s what the [KHOU] I-Team discovered can happen at some private schools that critics say are really diploma mills. And a Texas law is actually helping these businesses thrive...

The I-Team decided to do a test of its own and signed up Molly, our photographer’s basset hound.

And what was Lincoln’s “test” like? Doggone laughable at times, with questions like “a triangle has how many sides?” or  “the President lives in the White House, true or false?”

In a couple of hours, with our help, Molly passed.  After a $300 payment and a few days later, her diploma and official transcript arrived. Lincoln Academy was even nice enough to e-mail:

“Dear Molly, 
You have truly reached a new milestone in your educational career... 
sit back and enjoy your new life of being a
high school graduate from Lincoln Academy.”

So we had some questions for Nancy Lubbat, whose family runs Lincoln Academy.
I-Team: “Can I ask you about Lincoln Academy real quick?

Lubbat: “I don’t have anything to say to you.”

I-Team: “Do you know who you’re awarding diplomas to? A dog, ma’am. What do you have to say to that?” ...

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