Chalkbeat reports that the principal of a NYC charter school has gone from one position to the next, touting fake credentials.
Despite the fact that he had been forced out of other schools, despite the fact that he made numerous other unsubstantiated claims about jobs he had held, he was hired to run a charter for transfer students, a school for students at risk of not graduating.
His résumé is impressive:
“He claimed to have been a senior adviser to Barack Obama as a senator and a consultant to Hillary Rodham Clinton. He said he had served as a deputy chief of staff for Carrie Meek, then a U.S. Representative. He claimed to have a doctoral degree. And he said he was the principal of a school in Washington, D.C. where he was actually a teacher….”
“From Feb. 2009 to June 2010, Thomas worked as a program director for Phase 4 Learning Center, a nonprofit that operates alternative education centers in Pennsylvania. The company’s CEO, Terrie Suica-Reed, said that Thomas’s deception while working for her company “was enough that he had to be released from all duties and all association with Phase 4.”
“I would listen to the warning signs,” Suica-Reed said.
In New York City, Thomas served as a “principal-in-residence” for New Visions for Public Schools from March to June 2011. The nonprofit then tapped Thomas to be the principal of its first high school, the New Visions Charter High School for the Humanities.
New Visions spokesman Tim Farrell said that Thomas was a part of the school’s “start-up team” but left before it opened that fall, and would not comment further on his departure.
The article suggests that charters may have to e more careful about hiring principals.
Of course, when public funds flow to unregulated schools that are not required to comply with state law governing credentials and qualifications, problems will arise.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Which is not to say that the HR vetting resources in many school districts is a good one.
In Dallas, my application was hung up because ‘too few of the recommendations’ were from educators. Ultimately, they accepted a recommendation of the woman who assigned substitutes at a school where I had substituted over the recommendation of the U.S. Senator I worked for, for a dozen years; they accepted the recommendation of a substitute teacher I had worked with occasionally over the recommendation of my supervisor in one of the largest radio tower construction projects ever done.
Ultimately, I think there is no substitute for solid skepticism in reviewing resumes, but more and more “reformers” try to find substitutes that just don’t work.
This is an all too familiar story, and there’s plenty of blame to go around. But Latinate responsibility goes to the search committee and board.
The problem is that in most hiring, as in car buying, the buyer falls in love with the candidate of choice, and never does the homework. “This has to be The One”.
There are many reasons to be skeptical of some charter school organizations (and to laud others), but mistakes in hiring a principal is probably not a good one. Public schools, private schools, international schools and charter schools all have stories like this one, as do corporations of all kinds, sizes and industries. Identifying leadership talent is a difficult endeavor – and many organizations have made mistakes of similar magnitude. Even universities – where publications are easy to verify, have fallen to snake oils salesmen. A more focused critique of educational reform efforts would benefit everyone. These seem like potshots to me.
I’m not completely sure that’s the point of this post (correct me if I’m wrong). I see the point of this post to be that the people in power see teaching as “easy,” have no respect for experience, and are overly enamored of a bunch of letters after names. Experience in education isn’t what counts to these people, it’s “business ability” or whatever. And that’s in charter schools, public schools, private schools, what have you. The ability to teach is simply not considered a noble skill in our society, particularly among the rich and powerful.
Fact …A principal got a PHD from a Diploma Mill in some coastal town in, Mississippi, paid for the PHD and used the Dr title, harassed the teachers, created a fictitious moving company and bilked the system out of $19,000, made almost as much money as the superintendent, and abruptly left when they discovered his fraudulent activities..No punishment except to pay back the school system and on his way to another state..and that DR title..Made me so ill..
I know so many principals with the PHD titles that never sat in a classroom.
They have these online thingamagidgi programs…Pay…do a little work and here it is..
I can not believe that you then have to preface their name with the DR. when they are not deserving of the title..
Someone needs to check into these people. They are paying them an enormous amount of money for the DR before their name. Some are deserving, of course, but we all know the ones that are not.
Reblogged this on 21st Century Theater.
Heck, 12 years ago we showed that Paul Vallas was lying about his history when he ran for governor, and it didn’t hurt him. And for years Arne Duncan has been telling everyone about how he “taught” in Chicago when in fact his “teaching” was hanging out at his mother’s after school tutoring program at Jackie Robinson Elementary school down the street from Arne’s very very comfortable Hyde Park home. Once these guys learn to lie with a straight face, they get passed along from one sucker to the next. Vallas is now back in Illinois as the (fatal) choice of Pat Quinn for running mate in the governor’s race. And Arne’s still America’s top “educator.” So what’s the big deal? They just all had high self esteem and got an A on their Atlas Shrugged test.
George Schmidt: unfortunately, par for the course.
“Doctor” Steve Perry?
Link: http://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2013/05/18/steve-perrys-dissertation-heavy-on-lit-review-slight-on-scholarship/
Michelle Rhee took her students from the 13th to the 90th percentile?
Link: http://gfbrandenburg.wordpress.com/?s=michelle+rhee%2C+13th%2C+90th%2C+percentile&submit=Search
“Doctor” John Deasy?
Link: https://dianeravitch.net/2013/06/29/the-academic-credentials-problem-vallas-and-deasy/
But then, as one of those old dead Greek guys said:
“Honesty is for the most part less profitable than dishonesty.” [Plato]
Makes ₵ent¢ to self-styled “education reformers”…
No sense to the rest of us.
😎
In my mind, anyone other than an MD who insists on being called “Doctor,” – especially in education, which has so many bogus programs – has automatically disqualified themselves from being taken seriously, and demonstrates an ego that deserves skepticism, if not derision.
This guy didn’t know how to play today’s game. If he had actually been in the loop with Obama et al., he could have had no formal training in education and no classroom teaching experience whatsoever and commanded a top job with high earnings, a la Arne Duncan. Alternatively, it would have been just fine if he’d had limited training (5 weeks) and little experience (2 years), a la Teach for America.
In this plutocracy, the less one knows about education, the better. As long as they are willing to be tools of profiteers, ignorant neophytes have their choice of top jobs: principal, district CEO/chancellor, state superintendent, secretary of education, you name it.
Then, voila, here’s your six figure income and mega power over the masses, including control of all the people who know a hell of a lot more than you do.
Today, “pay to play” is the name of the game and the rules are simple. Wealthy people pay with cash. Everyone else who is willing to play sells their soul in order to receive cash.
So True. He didn’t even need to lie. He could have just spouted out a bunch of reform speak and he probably would have been hired. I worked in a charter where the principal was a used car salesman.
Saw an ad for Fordham Institute looking for an educational analyst. BS required, no specific degree. Never mentioned any credentials or experience in education, but will be responsible in K-12 educational policy & publications. All policy analysts stick to their lack of misinformation because the $$$ is good.
H—–, who needs any educational credentials? The treatment and lack of respect is so pervasive and one gets strange looks when demanding professional treatment and respect.
Dr.Steve Perry’s doctorate is questionable, but he avoids having to answer. But, everyone calls him Dr.
These are the worst of times in education.
Oh my goodness, was he like Mr. Wormwood who was the used car salesman from Matilda by Ronald Dahl?
Dee Dee,
Oh my goodness, was this principal like Mr. Wormwood who was the used car salesman from Matilda by Ronald Dahl?
Preeti..He sounds like the Maltilda Used car salesman.
Where did Steve perry obtain his PHD or is that a secret too?
Reformers don’t need credentials– only connections.
Excellent point: TFA, Ivy League, etc.
His name is no longer listed as a member of the “staff” or “board” on the school’s website. He must have been booted in the last few hours.
Isn’t it remarkable how the same people who insist that all school decisions be data-driven ignore real evidence when making personnel decisions?