Times Expands Value-added Ratings for LA School Teachers

(In Photo: Former Felner buddy, UofL SemiDoctor and Gates guy John Deasy not so keen on value-added now that he's in LA.)

This from the LA Times:

New data include ratings for about 11,500 teachers

School and civic leaders oppose release of data

The Los Angeles Times on Sunday is releasing a major update to its elementary school teacher ratings, underscoring the large disparities throughout the nation's second-largest school district in instructors' abilities to raise student test scores.

The posting — the only publication of such teacher performance data in the nation — contains value-added ratings for about 11,500 third- through fifth-grade teachers, nearly double the number released last August. It also reflects changes in the way the scores were calculated and displayed.

Overall ratings for about 470 schools also are included in the release, which is based on student standardized test scores from the academic years 2003-04 through 2009-10. To obtain the rating of a teacher or school, go to latimes.com/valueadded and enter the teacher's or the school's name.

The initial release of teacher ratings last summer generated intense controversy — and some praise — across the country, and this round has already met with some opposition.

The Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent and other civic leaders, in a letter to the newspaper's publisher, recently asked The Times to reconsider publishing the ratings, saying in part that individual teachers' performances should be addressed in private conversations...

UofL upholds challenged doctoral degree

John Deasy, a former Malibu California school superintendent who had given a research center run by former UofL Education Dean Robert Felner a $375,000 contract in 2002, subsequently got a doctoral degree after studying there only one semester. Sweet.

This from Nancy Rodriguez at C-J:

...The agency that accredits schools in Kentucky and 10 other Southern states requires candidates for graduate degrees to earn the majority of their credits at the university awarding the degree.

And a university rule requires doctoral candidates to spend at least two years studying at U of L, including at least one in full-time residency.

Campus residency requirements are considered important because a university is vouching for a student when it issues a degree. For that reason, universities have typically insisted that a substantial part of the work must be performed on campus.

Deasy's degree was called into question last fall after The Courier-Journal and WHAS-TV reported that Deasy got the degree after studying at U of L for a single semester...

This from the Chronicle of Higher Ed:

...Before his short stint at Louisville, Mr. Deasy had earned at least 50 credits toward a doctorate at three other institutions, including the University of Rhode Island, where Mr. Felner taught until 2003.

In September the University of Louisville appointed a committee to investigate whether the degree had been awarded improperly. In a statement quoted by The Courier-Journal today, the university said that the panel had concluded that Mr. Deasy successfully defended his dissertation before a faculty committee. “The degree stands; no further action will be taken,” the statement said.

The university said the review had confirmed the “integrity of our degree-granting process. We do not give away degrees.” It also noted several changes it was making to put more checks on the process for granting exemptions from graduate-degree requirements.

A federal indictment issued in October accuses Mr. Felner and an associate of diverting more than $2-million into their personal bank accounts from a federal research grant and from contracts with municipal school districts, including the district in Santa Monica, Calif., where Mr. Deasy served as superintendent from 2001 until 2006.

Mr. Deasy is now deputy director for education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The federal indictment of Mr. Felner does not suggest that Mr. Deasy knew about or benefited from the embezzlement that Mr. Felner is accused of. Mr. Felner has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges.

Ramsey Absolves UofL in Deasy Degree Scandal

UofL investigates UofL and Finds Integrity

“Based upon the totality of the circumstances

and information available,

it is evident that waivers were granted by the then-graduate dean

which permitted the student to register

and defend his dissertation in one semester.

The dissertation defense before a committee of

University of Louisville CEHD faculty

was successful, and the degree was subsequently awarded.

“The degree stands; no further action will be taken.

--UofL President James Ramsey and

Exec VP and Provost Shirley Willihnganz

Interpretation: This decision concludes our review and confirms the integrity of our degree granting process. We do not give away degrees.

Alternative Interpretation: We were so totally screwed by former Dean of Education Robert Felner that it took a lot of people months and to dig through all of the bad acts he perpetrated and we still found the record sketchy. What we do know is that Felner influenced a former graduate dean to bend the academic rules for one of Felner's buddies, John Deasy. We have high standards at UofL but sometimes we waive them. Deasy was permitted to register and defend his dissertation in one semester which effectively proves that the work was not done at the University of Louisville. But what are we going to do? Having given Felner the authority to screw us, he screwed us. Since the error was clearly UofL's, we're not in a position to take it back now. Maybe we'll get a big grant from the Gates Foundation some day.

In a letter from President Ramsey and Provost Willihnganz to the university community the issues surrounding John Deasey's easy degree was laid to rest.

• A blue-ribbon panel reviewed the awarding of Deasy's 2004 degree and found...
• In very rare instances, almost always when student well-being was at issue (though no such claim is made here), the graduate dean acted within his authority to grant waivers.
• The Blue Ribbon Panel reinforced the need to reconstitute the graduate school to increase oversight and accountability.
• The panel noted several needed changes that were made in graduate education at UofL since the Deasy degree was granted.
• The authority of the graduate dean was changed so that he or she could no longer allow certain types of exemptions and variances in graduate student programs.

That's a lot of fixin' for something that supposedly wasn't broken.

Hat tip to PageOne Kentucky.

Schroeder Blames Felner, Wants Separate Trial

Citing "the gross disparity of proof against the two Defendants, [and] the presence of antagonistic and mutually exclusive defenses," indicted co-conpirator Thomas Schroeder has asked the US District Court in Louisville for a separate trial.

Schroeder, through his attorney, David S. Mejia, is concerned that a possible "spillover" effect may occur if the two defendants are tried together.

According to the motion, "the potential that evidence against the principle (sic) Defendant [former UofL Education Dean Robert Felner] may inspire transference of guilt from Felner to Schroeder... will deprive Thomas Schroeder of a fair trial if he is not granted a separate trial.

Read Schroeder's Motion to Sever-Misjoinder.

The Defendants were indicted on October 22, 2008, of multiple-counts alleging an 8-year mail fraud conspiracy covering the time period of July 2001 to July 2008. Robert Felner was indicted in his capacity as a Director of School Education and Professor at the University of Rhode Island and thereafter in his capacity as Dean of the College of Education at the University of Louisville. Thomas Schroeder is indicted in his capacity as the incorporator of the National Center on Public Education and Prevention, a non-profit corporation in Illinois.

Felner had obtained contracts to survey and conduct assessments for several school districts: Atlanta (2001-2004); Buffalo and the New York Middle School Association (2002-2007); Santa Monica/Malibu Unified School District (2002-2004). In 2007 the University of Louisville received a No Child Left Behind Act grant, which was administered by Robert Felner as Dean of the College of Education.

Former Superintendent, John Deasy, had given that Malibu contract to Felner. The entire $375,000 amount went to Felner's shell corporation and ultimately ended up in Felner's bank account. Deasy was a Felner colleague from the University of Rhode Island who - after awarding Felner the grant - was gifted a suspiciously quick doctorate under the guidance of Felner. Deasy's dissertation is dated seven months before he even enrolled at UofL. Felner supervised no other doctoral students during his five years at the university. Ray & Associates found nothing troublesome about the doctorate when they presented Deasy as a superintendent candidate to Prince Georges County (Md) schools. UofL quickly declared the doctorate to be proper.

The government's case alleges that from 2001 through 2008 Robert Felner defrauded the numerous educational entities of $2,534,577.00 Of that amount, "Thomas Schroeder received nearly one-tenth" which he says was legitimate income upon which he paid taxes.

"The fact that Thomas Schroeder is alleged to have received approximately 296,000 over eight years in connection with his work at his Illinois non-profit corporation (which he properly reported on his tax returns), while Robert Felner gained nearly two and a half million in fraudulent proceeds, is so great a disparity as to warrant separate trials of these two individuals."

"The indictment alleges Robert Felner – alone – committed repeated acts of tax evasion in the years 2002 through 2007, by his individual failure to report income (fraud proceeds he alone received) totaling $1,478,759.00." ...

Schroeder says he will prove that "the sole person who initiated the negotiations, entered into agreements, fulfilled or failed to fulfill the promises, and who committed the acts of concealment, misrepresentation and fraud was – Robert Felner."

Schroeder claims that Felner screwed him over just like everyone else.

Hat Tip top PageOne Kentucky.

UofL Easy PhDeasy Followup

Page One Kentucky has some follow up from a Ville insider. Go see.

...The Graduate Schools has looked at all doctorates issued in the last 10 years and checked all of them for any irregularities, such as getting waivers to avoid certain requirements or never having requirements checked. This obviously took a long time. From what I heard over the last 10 years only 6 doctorates have been awarded that did not follow the regulations to the letter. That’s not to say they all weren’t earned. For example, one might have been approved after the deadline to submit your dissertation.

How does that relate to Deasy… well, it sets up the precedent for what was allowed over the last 10 years. Now they only have to focus on why those 6 were granted waivers of certain regulations...

Jake's source says we should expect a few more weeks before anything is revealed by the university, and then, because of FERPA concerns, it's not likely to be a very satisfying report. No specific statements involving students are likely to be made. Therefore, vague statements about sufficient academic rigor but with minor technical difficulties is anticipated.

Since Sonny Bass had not yet been granted a degree, yet reportedly had staffers and graduate students doing his work, it is unclear whether that situation will even be addressed.

Is UofL Stonewalling?

Some in Louisvile are getting antsy.

In November officials with the University of Louisville provided updates on steps the school had taken in the wake of former College of Education and Human Development Dean Robert Felner’s federal indictment on charges of money laundering, mail fraud and conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service. U of L president James Ramsey appointed a campus-wide task force to review the findings and recommend action steps. The public was assured that university would get in front of the issues that have plagued it since the toxic dean's deeds came to light - and would report. Since then, it's been all quiet on the Belknap front.

Was there a conflict of interest with Cotton & Allen, the firm UofL hired to conduct an external audit of the university’s grants management and contracts practices? (Page One Kentucky reports: "Nolan Allen is, as is well-known in the community, highly involved with the University. He is a financial supporter and is the father-in-law of the Dean of the School of Medicine... it wasn’t even put out for bid." ) No word.

Was John Deasy's instant doctorate legit? No word.

Was it appropriate to allow staff to assist UofL donor Sonny Bass in getting a degree by working on his interview and written materials and developing a portfolio to document his expertise? No word.

What restructuring of the CEHD has occurred? No word.

Since Ramsey's admission of problems within the university - and after having conducted a PR campaign of damage control in the wake of the Felner scandal - some in the public were hoping they would have heard a more substantive report of the affirmative actions taken by the university by now.

No word.

Deasy's Predecessor Gets 6 Years

"Dr" John Deasy who received a quickie doctorate from UofL and recently left Prince Georges County (MD) to work at the Gates Foundation followed superintendent Andre J. Hornsby, who was convicted of wire fraud, witness and evidence tampering, and obstruction of justice (FBI surveilance video).

This from the Washington Post, Photo by Marvin Joseph:

Former Chief Of Pr. George's Schools Gets 6-Year Term

Former Prince George's County schools chief Andre J. Hornsby was sentenced yesterday to six years in federal prison for steering contracts to a girlfriend and a longtime business associate and then orchestrating what prosecutors called an "egregious" coverup...

The Felner Chronicles

The Racine Post listed a series of Felner stories last week. The now infamous former UofL Education Dean Robert Felner -- who was trying to get out of town (and into a new funding stream, perhaps) was appointed Chancellor at UW-Parkside but was forced to resigned before his investiture.

The Post's "cautionary tale" has been significantly expanded by KSN&C to include more of Felner's collateral damage.

Felner case may bring U of L new scrutiny on grants Oct 26
Felner Stink Sticks to Deasy Oct 25
Sifting the Ashes as UofL Oct 24
Felner in handcuffs: The Money Shot Oct 23
Reaction to Schroeder indictment in Illinois Oct 23
Felner and Schroeder Indicted Oct 22
INDICTED! He pleads innocent Oct 22
UofL President James Ramsey's Statement on the Indictment of Robert Felner Oct 22
Deasy's Easy Degree raises questions about Doctoral Quality Oct 3
Louisville Grad Students Uneasy about Felner Investigation Oct 2
Another U of L Instant Degree For Sale? Sept 26
Ramsey's PR Campaign Continues Sept 25
Deasy has Resume Errors. Ray & Associates was on the Job Sept 24
Ramsey got Felner's assurance. Now we get Stone's Sept 19
Don’t say the f word Sept 17
Felner Attny Defends Deasy's Instant Doctorate Sept 17
Ramsey says U of L broke no rules on disputed doctorate Sept 13
It's Time to Begin the Search for U of L's Next President Sept 12
SACS, NCATE Look Into U of L Accreditation Problems Sept 12
Was the Price of a Ph.D. at the U. of Louisville 9 Credits and a $375,000 Grant? Sept 11
Probed: The four-month PhD Sept 10
U of L's Integrity on the line Sept 10
Deasy Blames U of L Sept 10
Accountability for John Deasy Sept 10
Need a Doctorate? Hire Felner. Let him Chair your Committee Sept 9
At Last: The Ville's Ramsey apologizes over Felner incident Sept 6
Change agent, class clown or criminal? Sept 3
21 Former U of L Faculty complain of inaction on Felner Sept 3
University distances itself from earlier compliments paid Felner Aug 31
Ramsey Tosses the Faculty a Bone Aug 30
C-J smacks Ramsey, Willihnganz and Porter Aug 29
Felner’s follies - Former U of L dean Robert Felner racked up grievances, not grants Aug 29
UW-Parkside: WHEW! He's not our problem! Aug 27
Felner Update: U of L funds used to keep Rhode Island center afloat Aug 21
A trail of outrage
Feds: More 'threads' probed Aug 13
U of L's Felner tried to get more funding, investigation reveals Aug 10
Lack of Oversight of Felner Conflicts Compromises Research Integrity at U of L Aug 9
U of L grant checks end up in local bank Aug 7
Charge it! he said ($31,000 worth) Aug 4
Emails detail fraud, collusion, fear of IRS and much, much more! July 28
Felner and Schroeder's Sweetheart Deal July 28
Felner Attny hints at Schroeder involvement July 27
Felner: Anatomy of a Fraud? July 26
31 Felner Grievances not typical...so only 4 count? July 22
A Letter from Ramsey and Willihnganz July 21
Felner Pal got Bulk of Money July 20
UofL president raps 'anonymous crap' July 17
33 Grievances = Excellence at U of L July 17
FOI brings stack of grievances July 14
That $694,000 grant was for us? July 10
Grant money went to fake company? VIDEO July 10
Grant monitoring ignored -- VIDEO July 9
The Grievance King July 7
Feds widen probe July 7
He was crime victim, too July 2
UW System finger-pointing July 1
Retaliated against critics July 1
Troubles began in '80s at C-U June 30
Try this, Unified and UW-P! June 27
THE NEVERENDING STORY June 26
Withdraws before taking office June 24

Hat tip to Page One.

Felner Stink Sticks to Deasy

Deasy's $375,000 Ends Up in

Felner's Bank Account

On this week's Comment on Kentucky, WHAS reporter Adam Walser recaped the story of Robert Felner and his wide-ranging toxic effect on the University of Rhode Island, UofL, several of the country's school districts and many tainted individuals.

But who were the victims, and who were the co-conspirators?

One of the affected school districts was the Santa Monica-Malibu (CA)public schools during the time that John Deasy was the superintendent. Deasy recently resigned his position as Superintendent in Prince Georges County (MD) schools to join the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - which hired him with some knowledge of the controversy.

Walser told host Ferrell Wellman,

...what we found in this federal indictment was that the entire $375,000 that came from the Santa Monica-Malibu public school system (John Deasy had given that contract to Robert Felner) the entire amount went to this shell corporation and went into Robert Felner's bank account ultimately.

Deasy, you will recall, was the Felner colleague (from URI) who - after awarding Felner the $375,000 grant - was gifted a suspiciously quick doctorate under the guidance of Felner. Deasy's dissertation is dated seven months before he even enrolled at UofL. Felner supervised no other doctoral students during his five years at the university.

This sweetheart deal appeared to have the full support of UofL President James Ramsey since he recommended that the Board of Trustees approve John Deasy as an Alumni Fellow Award winner in 2007.

The Fall 2007 issue of UofL Magazine says, “The Alumni Fellows are awarded to graduates who are exemplary ambassadors for their UofL schools or colleges through their contributions to their professional fields and their communities.” On his application for the award, Deasy did not list any contributions.

Bloggers and other media questioned how Deasy was able to receive a doctorate of philosophy in education in 2004 after taking only nine credits at the school.

Deasy immediately claimed that,

If the university finds that it did not follow its own policies and procedures when conferring my doctorate, that is of course its right to make any decision thereafter.

That must have seemed like a great deal if it meant Deasy would not be pulled into the rest of the allegations surrounding Felner, and another URI colleague and indicted co-conspirator, Thomas Schroeder.

The university quickly declared the doctorate to be proper.

Deasy's Easy Degree raises questions about Doctoral Quality

This from the Washington Post:

In Most School Districts, the Doctor Is in Charge,

but Some Question Degree

Most top school officials in the Washington area -- and a growing number across the country -- hold doctorates, even though some experts contend the advanced degrees are often too easy to obtain and of questionable value for education leadership.

Questions about the academic credentials of superintendents arose anew after the University of Louisville began an investigation of a PhD in education it granted four years ago to John E. Deasy, now superintendent in Prince George's County.

Nationally, the percentage of superintendents who hold an education-related PhD or the education doctorate known as an EdD rose from 36 percent in 1992 to about 51 percent in 2006, according to the American Association of School Administrators. An exception to this trend in the Washington area is D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee, who holds a master's degree in public policy.

Superintendents and many academics say the doctoral programs teach vital management and statistical skills while providing an intellectual challenge. But critics say the programs mostly provide financial rewards -- for the universities that collect tuition and for educators who pick up a credential that helps them earn a higher salary and a "doctor" title...

...Other superintendents' transcripts have come under scrutiny. On Sept. 3, the board of the Emery Unified School District in California accepted the resignation of a superintendent who reportedly lied about having a doctorate and other degrees. On Sept. 8, a superintendent in New Jersey, H. James Wasser, said he would stop using the "doctor" title and give up a $2,500 annual pay raise for a doctorate awarded from a suspected diploma mill...

...The value of doctoral programs in education has long been debated. The difference between the EdD and the more research-oriented PhD is often murky. James G. Cibulka, the president of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, said administrators and researchers pursue EdDs and PhDs in education, resulting in unfocused programs and what Cibulka called "utter confusion."

He said efforts are underway to sharpen the distinction between the degrees, but the mixture of scholarly and professional students contributed to "uneven" quality in student work...

Louisville Graduate Students Uneasy about Felner Investigation

A letter is being released to graduate students at the University of Louisville concerning the investigation into former College of Education and Human Development Dean Robert Felner. Felner is under investigation for alleged misappropriation of $694,000 in federal grant money and an internal investigation of the awarding of a Ph.D. to former U of L graduate student John Deasy, who reportedly only studied for nine credit hours at U of L after sending $375,000 to a Felner-run center.

When Graduate Student Council President Amber Carrier first heard the news about Felner, she was shocked it could have happened here.“The integrity for the Graduate School of U of L is very high,” said Carrier. “I know this because I am going through it and know others who have.”Carrier said if the Deasy degree was given erroneously, there might be direct effects seen in the job market. But, it still will not take away the quality of graduate students’ degrees. “I have worked very hard and will continue to work hard,” Carrier said.

“It’s a difficult degree and a difficult program. Even if an eyebrow or two are raised, I will be able to defend my experiences through the things I have done. I don’t think there will be any question as to my strengths as a potential applicant.”

William Pierce, Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs and chair of the investigating committee, told the Louisville Cardinal he recognizes how serious these allegations must be in the minds of current graduate students. “We know how serious this issue is... The students are concerned. I think that is entirely appropriate.”

Here's the letter from Pierce:

An open letter to all graduate students of the University of Louisville.

September 26, 2008

William M. Pierce Jr., Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs
Interim Dean of the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies

Paul J. DeMarco, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean of the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies

Fundamental concerns

Your leaders in the Graduate Student Council and several individual graduate students have contacted the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies with concerns about the integrity of university policy and process in the area of graduate education.

The matters of concern arise from a maelstrom of allegations, many of which you know well from a variety of sources. As is frequently the case with public allegations of wrongdoing, these allegations are likely a blend of fact, fear, reason and speculation.

Your President, Ms. Amber Carrier has sent the following synopsis of immediate concerns:

"I have received a number of emails asking about the recent review of Dr. Deasy's degree and whether it was awarded properly or not. I know that the review of his degree and the committee proceedings may be confidential, and the matter is still being investigated, but a number of graduate students have expressed concern over the situation. Many are worried about how this may affect the marketability of their degrees and the reputation of the University when they are submitting applications."

The concerns of the graduate student body are very understandable and rational. Our students want to know that the integrity and value of their degrees will never be compromised by any of the current allegations that they see in the local and national press coverage. The graduate student body, and indeed the entire university, must now respond to this challenge to our core.

Responding to this challenge

We all agree these allegations are very serious. The reputation of a university, and the perceived value of the degrees it confers, depend upon the knowledge that principles such as intellectual honesty, freedom of intellectual inquiry, and academic integrity are upheld. We must safeguard against any compromise to these principles which have served the University of Louisville well for more than 200 years.

Throughout this long history, the university has provided education and opportunity to many and has conferred tens of thousands of degrees – we have 114,000 living alumni. Through its research and service to the community, the university is intimately involved in making this city, commonwealth, region and the world a better place. We will continue to justify the sacred trust placed in us by our constituents. Whether fair or not, we must also be aware that even as we are doing one thousand (or 114,000) things well, public trust can still be damaged by a single failure.

In its quest to become a research university, the University of Louisville has grown rapidly and changed greatly in the past decade, and graduate education has been a key part of this growth. Any institution that undergoes dramatic change will find that its policies and procedures strain to move apace. As we seek to manage change well, we cannot ignore the past, but we must let it be our teacher. After investigating and understanding the facts that underpin the current conversation, we can focus on necessary change, build our futures and reaffirm our dedication to the highest academic integrity.

We have no power to change the past. We do have the ability, and the responsibility, to change the future. This requires honest and rational self-evaluation, followed by action. This also requires focus. Enormous amounts of energy have been expended throughout the university and throughout our community, quite understandably, in speculation and angst over these allegations. We must now focus on rational self-evaluation and dedication to changing the future.

What facts can we provide now, and what mechanisms are there for further fact-finding?

You know that there are multiple allegations of wrongdoing. The university originally brought an allegation of fiscal wrongdoing to the attention of the federal authorities and there is an ongoing federal investigation, headed by David Huber, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky. There have been reports that this investigation will be complete in October.

For internal self-evaluation and fact-finding, President Ramsey, Provost Willihnganz and the Board of Trustees have initiated several internal and external reviews. These are underway at present, and include:

1. An internal audit of the finances of the College of Education and Human Development. The UofL Office of Audit Services has completed the first phase of its audit of the college's financial records. The audit will continue into other areas of the college. David Barker, director of Audit Services, said he expects the review to continue for at least six more weeks. Audit Services is being diligent, and President James Ramsey has encouraged them to continue to be thorough in their review.

2. An external audit of the university's grants management and contracts practices. The external audit is of our contracts and grants management policies and procedures and is being conducted by Cotton and Allen, a local accounting firm and an independent agency that is now beginning its work.

3. A Faculty Senate review of our faculty grievance procedure. This committee is currently reviewing our internal documents and procedures, as well as best practices for faculty grievance and conflicts resolution. The group had its second meeting Friday, Sept. 26. The group expects to finish its work and report back to the president and provost by the end of November.

4. A review, requested by our Faculty, Staff and Student senates in a formal letter to the Board and subsequently ordered by the Board of Trustees, of the policies and procedural management within the university. That committee is currently being formed and will have its first meeting in the next week or so.

5. A review of the conflict of interest policy and construction of a values statement. In light of allegations in the Felner investigation, a fifth committee will review the university's policies and procedures regarding conflict of interest. The provost is asking the group to look at three things: a) Adequacy of policies regarding compliance b) How informed our faculty are regarding the policies and c) To what degree our compliance policies are being followed.

6. Finally, a "blue ribbon commission" is reviewing facts surrounding a Ph.D. from the College of Education and Human Development during Felner's tenure as dean. This is the matter of most immediate concern to many graduate students.

This commission is composed of six members, and includes student, faculty, staff, alumni and community representation:

• James Atkinson, Graduate student, College of Education and Human Development and Staff Senator.
• J. Blaine Hudson, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
• Anita Moorman, Associate Professor, College of Education and
Human Development and Adjunct Professor, Brandeis School of Law.
• Martin Johnstone, Former Kentucky Supreme Court Justice.
• Commission Chair William Pierce, Interim Dean, School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies.
• Mary Gwen Wheeler, Louisville Metro Government.

The commission is a fact-finding body. It is already working and this work is being conducted under conditions of strict confidentiality.

What can graduate students do now?

The facts uncovered by the above groups will provide the foundation for future action. For now, we encourage the continued interest and engagement of the graduate student body.

• Continue to be inquisitive and intellectually honest. The student concerns noted here are natural. Continue to question. Contact your program directors and chairs. Discuss this among yourselves. Read the continuing coverage of these matters with an honest, inquisitive and rational approach, discerning fact and questioning speculation. Contact the deans of the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies directly. We will be glad to meet with student groups for further discussion.

• Contact your student leadership. They are already fully engaged in these matters. Your Graduate Student Council leadership is given below:
President: Amber Carrier – Biology (A&S); Vice President: Henry Luka - Educational and Counseling Psychology (CEHD); Secretary: Jeff Osgood - Urban and Public Affairs (A&S); Treasurer: Vicki Laemmel - Health Promotion and Exercise Science (CEHD - Sports Administration); Travel Administrator: James Lee - Chemical Engineering (Speed)

• Remain engaged in your scholarly pursuits. The allegations that have been made are grave. We must investigate these and right any wrong that is found. However your best educational interests are served by continuing to focus maximum energy on your scholarly pursuits. Even as you maintain interest in these matters, don’t forget that your education comes first. Demand the best educational experience possible, both from your university and from your self.

• Believe in yourselves and in what you know to be true. Look at your life and scholarly pursuits, and look to those of the students around you. You know that you are working long, hard hours in the classrooms, libraries, studios, laboratories, clinics and in the field. Often, this is followed by a few more hours of grading papers or planning classes. You know that there is nothing cheap about the degree that you are getting. You have the right to feel pride and to proclaim this. Be a champion of your own interests.

• Let us help you in your transition to the next step in your career. If you are a student nearing graduation and looking for that next career opportunity you may still have fears that these matters will cast a shadow upon your employment opportunities. If you are in this position, the Interim Dean of the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies will provide a letter for your position application file explaining these matters and specifically affirming the rigor of your educational program and the value of your upcoming degree.

We wish you continued success in all of your academic endeavors.

Hat tip to Page One.

Breaking: Deasy Out in Prince Georges County

At this moment, Prince Georges County Schools Board Chair Verjeana M. Jacobs is apparently announcing that Superintendent John Deasy is leaving the district.

Having given the pitch perfect response to the publication of the circumstances surround his degree form the U of L; and having no trouble reading the handwriting on the wall, John Deasy told the Washington Post that he's stepping down from Prince Georges County schools and will be moving on the the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Video from ABC News 7:

This from the Washington Post:

John E. Deasy, the superintendent of Prince George's County schools, will leave his post as the head of Maryland's second-largest school system to take a job as a deputy director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter.

Reached at home last night, Deasy said, "I have been offered a job, and I will make a public announcement of it tomorrow." He declined to give further details, saying only that he had been in "an ongoing conversation for several months" about the job.

Deasy told the board yesterday that he was leaving the 130,000-student Prince George's system for one of the largest private philanthropies in the world, said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. Deasy will leave around February, the source said.

The board held a closed session "to discuss a personnel matter" at 5 p.m. yesterday; public notification of the session was given almost half an hour after the meeting had begun. After the meeting ended, the board's chairman, Verjeana M. Jacobs (At Large), said that she had "positive news" and that a statement would be issued today. ...

Battlelines Drawn in the Ville: U of L goes after Page One

Page One Kentucky's

Publication of "incorrect information"

about Donor's Degree Program Cited

The sabre rattling that began last week has escalated as the University of Louisville fired a shot across the bow of "the messenger" of bad tidings. Page One has responded on its pages with invitations and promises to defend itself.

This U of L press release from...you guessed it - Page One:

Sept. 26, 2008 Contact: John Drees
502-553-9793
John.drees@louisville.edu

UofL outraged at release of student records
Information on Internet blog is incorrect, possibly illegal

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The University of Louisville has learned that a local internet blog has printed incorrect information about a degree program and a student’s academic career.

The university expressed its concern at the release of the records, which may violate the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

"The University takes seriously its obligation to protect our students’ records and privacy," said University Provost Shirley Willihnganz. "We are outraged that anyone would violate that trust."

The program in question, the Bachelor of Science in Workforce Leadership, is offered through the university’s College of Education and Human Development. It is designed to allow mid- to advanced-career level working professionals to receive academic credit for their workplace learning experiences. In addition, students complete a program of core competencies with a concentration in workplace performance, career and technical education or executive development.

Two hundred thirty eight students currently participate in the program.

The degree program was created in response to a request from the Council on Postsecondary Education and has been praised by Greater Louisville Inc. and Kentuckiana Works as a model program that will help the commonwealth reach its 2020 goal of doubling the number of college graduates.

"This program clearly benefits the community, which has asked us to develop programs that will help in workforce development. And it benefits hundreds of individuals who wish to further their education," Willihnganz said.

More information on the degree is available at: http://louisville.edu/education/degrees/exec-perform.html

Jake Payne responded today at Page One saying,

...If there was major concern, why didn’t John Drees return telephone calls? Why didn’t Shirley Willihnganz email us directly? We have worked with her in the past and have communicated via email.

We have reviewed the leaked information we published time and time again. We can find no super-private confidential information. There are no grades, no specifics. Just communication among University of Louisville employees discussing ways to fake a degree by doing all the portfolio work for a major donor.

This is called damage control and it’s ridiculous.

Payne had previously called for an legislative investigation of events surrounding former Dean Robert Felner, his shady dealings with federal grant money, and an apparent sweetheart deal that granted a doctorate to Superintendent John Deasy, and now, major donor Lewis "Sonny" Bass.

Another U of L Instant Degree For Sale?

Recently Marina Karem complained in the C-J that the "quickie degree" granted Prince Georges County Superintendent John Deasy by former education Dean Robert Felner devalued her own hard work and accomplishments.

I'm sure she's not alone. It must be galling to those honest hard-working Cardinals to see their beloved university drug through the mud.

U of L spokesman John Drees assured the C-J today, "...we have one goal: to prevent instances like these reported at the College of Education from happening again."

But it now appears easy degrees from U of L may be more plentiful than originally thought.

Page One is reporting another sweetheart deal may have been under way with major Ville donor Lewis "Sonny" Bass. It was Bass who defended Felner in the C-J on August 28th suggesting that C-J's investigation and publication of the facts related to Felner's alleged wrongdoings were "perverted, cruel, twisted, malicious and probably anti-Semitic." He said C-J was crucifying the trustworthy Felner.

But according to [high-level] sources at UofL ... Mr. Bass was offered an honorary degree over the summer. But he wasn’t satisfied. He wanted an actual, earned degree. So individuals within the College of Education enrolled him in a fast track program that would give him credit for life experience, which has to be documented in the form of a portfolio.

A student was assigned (and paid) to assemble a portfolio for Bass but eventually grew to be uncomfortable with the arrangement. At one point, after complaining, she was reportedly offered more money to appease her worries but eventually backed out of the process. A new student was then assigned.

According to professors we spoke with at UofL, Bass never showed up to classes he was supposed to attend this summer. He never did any of the work required of him. And professors were uncomfortable giving grades to him– that he didn’t earn– since he was never in their classes.

Go read the emails. In one July message to Bass, Program Coordinator Carolyn Rude-Parkins outlines how she and a graduate research assistant would work on his "interview and written materials...[and] develop a Portfolio that will document [his] expertise..."

Sounds like they do all the work. He gets interviewed, and the degree of course, and apparently - stop me if you've heard this one before - without attending class.

Meanwhile, as President James Ramsey and Provost Shirley Willihnganz continue to be under fire for their misjudgment and support of Felner's activities - U of L spokesman Drees told C-J,

Louisville's accreditation and alumni donations have not been affected by federal and internal investigations of its former education dean, a school spokesman said yesterday.

"Based on the facts we have at this point, our accreditation is not threatened," John Drees said during a press briefing.

But six financial, management and governance reviews are still under way, and that does not include the SACS and NCATE reviews to follow or the federal investigation of Felner set to conclude in October.

Deasy has Resume Errors. Ray & Associates was on the Job.

A big honkin' reminder of Barbara Erwin came out of Prince Georges County MD today.

Superintendent John Deasy - already under scrutiny for the troublesome combination of a $375,000 contract with fallen Dean Robert Felner and the fastest doctorate in memory - now has a "jacked up" resume'. His proximity to Felner, who is under federal investigation, can't help.

And the search firm contracted by Prince Georges County schools to vet the candidates? Ray & Associates.

Southern Maryland Online reports,

Prince George's County Schools Superintendent John E. Deasy has two anomalies on his resume, according to a review of the document by Capital News Service...

..Deasy listed a faculty position in the doctoral program of Educational Leadership and Social Justice at Loyola Marymount University, Calif., from 2003 to present. The university's human resources department could not find him listed as a current or former faculty member.

There also was a date discrepancy on the resume he had on file in the Prince George's Schools office of the superintendent.

It is too bad for Prince Georges County that Ray & Associates - having completed whatever research they were obliged to do for the school district - did not discover the resume errors. But they apparently didn't. As we have seen, these things happen.

U of L investigated U of L and determined that U of L didn't violate accreditation rules when the degree was conferred.

Deasy hasn't been commenting on the matter recently. But he used to be conversant on the subject.

When Deasy was chosen to lead the Prince George's school system, he told the Washington Post, he was "free of ethical taint." "I am proud of all of the credits I earned to achieve my doctorate," Deasy said in the news release.

Ed Week picks up Felner - Deasy story

An Ed Week recap for its readers - but without much news for those already familiar with the story. Just this:

Mr. Felner’s lawyer, Scott C. Cox, said that the results of the federal probe, which is expected to be completed in October, will vindicate his client.

Does Mr. Cox wanna bet?

Also, there has been no allegation that Felner failed to earn his doctorate, yet Ed Week refers to him as Mr. Felner. If they wanted to downgrade someone, perhaps they should have referenced "Mr. Deasy."

Felner Attny Defends Deasy's Instant Doctorate

This from the Gazette (MD):

Deasy earned his doctorate,

says lawyer for former dean

Attorney claims superintendent is

victim of ‘negative publicity'

surrounding ex-university official

An attorney for a former University of Louisville dean is coming to the defense of Prince George's County Schools Superintendent John E. Deasy, stating the school leader earned the doctorate he received from the university.

Deasy came under scrutiny last week when Kentucky media questioned how he was able to receive a doctorate of philosophy in education in 2004 after taking only nine credits at the school.

Questions were also raised about Deasy's prior relationship with Robert Felner, the dean of the school of education who signed off on Deasy's dissertation. Felner was previously a dean at the University of Rhode Island at the same time Deasy was a student there.

Also, while Deasy was superintendent at Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, the school district reportedly awarded a $125,000 annual contract to an organization led by Felner to conduct surveys.

Felner resigned from the University of Louisville in June and is currently under investigation for allegedly misappropriating a $649,000 grant, according to Kentucky media reports. Felner has not been charged with a crime.

Scott C. Cox, who is representing Felner, said his client was not involved in granting Deasy's doctorate degree.

"The residency requirement was waived in writing by the university, not by Dr. Felner," Cox said. "And Dr. Deasy, as far as we can tell, earned legitimately his Ph.D. And there is so much negative publicity associated with Dr. Felner and anything he's connected with, it really is unfortunate that Dr. Deasy got dragged into this. He didn't do anything wrong except get his Ph.D."

Cox said the University of Louisville's graduate school approved Deasy's transfer credits from the University of Rhode Island, allowing him to earn his degree after one semester in Kentucky.

The University of Louisville said it is investigating the circumstances of Deasy's degree, and the county school system announced at a school board meeting last week that it is assigning outside counsel to serve as a liaison to the university.

Board chairwoman Verjeana M. Jacobs (At-large) said at a meeting Sept. 11 that board members were reserving all judgment until they knew the outcome of the university's investigation.

Deasy did not speak about the allegations at the board meeting, but he sent out a statement the same day.

"If the university finds that it did not follow its own policies and procedures when conferring my doctorate, that is of course its right to make any decision thereafter," Deasy said. "The work of improving teaching and learning, and closing achievement gaps between students will continue to be my most important work on the legacy of civil rights for the youth of Prince George's County."

According to Deasy's resume, he earned 30 credits beyond his master's degree in 1994 in New York and earned a master's degree in education administration from Providence College in Rhode Island in 1987.

A records official with the University at Albany, State University of New York, said Deasy was enrolled there from August 1991 through May 1993. The university
could not say how many courses were completed.

University of Rhode Island enrollment officials confirmed that Deasy completed 17 credit hours from 1999 to 2002, while participating in a joint doctoral program with the neighboring Rhode Island College. Rhode Island College's academic records office
said Deasy took courses there between the fall of 1997 and spring of 2004, but did not say how many courses he completed.

According to the University of Louisville's academic catalog, transfer credits from other universities are usually limited to six credits, or about two courses, and apply only for students who earn a "B" grade or better. The university allows an additional six credits to be transferred if a department official approves.

According to the university's policies, there is no set number of credits that doctor of
philosophy candidates are required to obtain, but it is "customary to consider the equivalent of three years of full-time graduate study as minimal."

Under university policy, academic records can only be released with the written consent of the student.

Schools spokesman John White said last week Deasy would not be releasing his academic records at this time.

According to Deasy's contract, the superintendent can be dismissed by the board for cause, "including, but not limited to, neglect of duty, incompetency, insubordination, misconduct, dishonesty, commission of a crime or fraud, commission of an act or moral turpitude." The contract also says the superintendent's employment can be terminated without cause.

Zalee Harris, a Temple Hills education advocate, said Deasy should step down from his post if his doctorate is revoked, and that if he does so, a group of community
members, teachers and county residents should choose the replacement.

"I will withhold all forms of judgment until I hear that the University of Louisville in Kentucky rules to rescind the doctorate degree. If the doctorate degree is rescinded, Deasy should step down immediately," Harris said.

don’t say the f word

This from Dennis O’Neil at the Louisville Cardinal, the U of L student newspaper:

“I can imagine someone looking at my resume,
seeing the words “U of L” and asking themselves
'isn’t that the place where they are just giving Ph.D.’s away?’”

On June 20, 2008, federal investigators marched into the College of Education and Human Development, emerging hours later with boxes of information pertaining to the activities of former CEHD Dean Robert Felner. Felner is now under federal investigation for allegedly misappropriating approximately $694,000 of the college’s federal grant money.

This was just the first of many dark days the University of Louisville would see.

Nearly four months later, the charges haven’t stopped. This past week, it was discovered through university records that John Deasy, then a California school superintendent, was awarded a doctorate in philosophy from U of L in 2004 after having only studied there for nine credit hours. This violates a university policy that says all doctoral candidates must study at U of L for at least two years, including one in full residency.

Felner was the advisor on Deasy’s dissertation committee and had received a $375,000 contract from Deasy in 2002 for a research center that he was running.

U of L President James Ramsey formed a committee Wednesday to investigate the allegations against Deasy. The six member committee will be led by Interim Dean of Graduate School William Pierce, who said the committee’s objective is to investigate this incident and then submit a report to Ramsey.

“We set up the committee quickly and have been told to move as quickly as possible,” Pierce said. “This situation might be clean and there is no reason to
believe there are a lot of these types of problems in the university.” Pierce was quick to point out the severity of these charges though, stating that they “strike at the heart and soul of the university.”

“If people don’t believe in us, we’re dead,” Pierce said. “We now have 100,000 people with diplomas from U of L asking themselves, ‘is this devalued?’ and I’m one of them.” ...

Ramsey says U of L broke no rules on disputed doctorate

This from C-J:

Spokesmen: He was only addressing part of inquiry

In a letter to the University of Louisville's accrediting agency, President James Ramsey said yesterday that "we do not believe any violations have occurred" in awarding a doctoral degree to a student who was enrolled at the university for only one semester.

But in interviews, spokesmen for the university said Ramsey was referring only to possible violations of the accrediting agency's residency requirement for doctoral candidates.

They said the committee Ramsey appointed Wednesday still will investigate other aspects of the degree -- including whether then-dean Robert Felner had a conflict of
interest in supervising the doctoral candidate, who had given his research center a $375,000 contract.

"Dr. Ramsey is going to let the committee do its work," said A. Keith Inman, U of L's vice president for university advancement. "He has not reached any other conclusions."

Yesterday, a lawyer for Felner offered his first public comments on the Ph.D. controversy. Scott C. Cox said there was no connection between the contract and Felner's efforts to help the doctoral student, John Deasy, win his Ph.D...

Fordham Foundation wants to Give Deasy a Pass

National education blogger Mike Petrilli over at the Fordham Foundation's Flypaper blog says,

"Don’t get queasy about John Deasy"

And what does Petrilli base his opinion on? Decent numbers, and he met Deasy once. No argument with either, but it's not much of a comfort in the face of other evidence.

Maybe Deasy is a terrific guy who just got a little greedy and was seduced by Felner. He would not have been the first to be sullied by that guy.

Deasy responsed perfectly:

If the university made errors in the awarding of the degree, I do hope they rescind it. My responsibility is to do everything I was advised and told to do. If I was advised wrong and given wrong information, the university needs to take responsibility for that. I certainly would not want anything unearned.

But talk is cheap. There is no way Deasy could have been unaware he was getting a sweetheart deal - and he took it - he took it, put it on his resume, shopped it and signs his name with a Ph D.

This should only be a concern for those who insist on ethical behavior.

Has Deasy renounced his doctorate and taken his diploma off the wall? Has he acted on his pitch perfect words?

In the wake of a the last superintendent's scandal - where former Prince Georges County Superintendent Andre J. Hornsby, was convicted of wire fraud, witness and evidence tampering, and obstruction of justice some Marylanders may prefer to avoid any appearance of wrongdoing and chose to try again.